Latest News regarding the Cricket Bat

Australia's World Cup-winning team may not be in need of it but a hi-tech Smart Cricket Bat to help big hitters like Adam Gilchrist smash the ball even further could be on the market within 18 months.

The Australian-developed, Smart Cricket Bat, has been patented as the world's first bat with active vibration control, a system already in use in baseball bats and tennis racquets, reports The Australian.

The Smart Cricket Bat's key to reducing the 'zinging effect' felt by big-hitting batsmen is in its innovative handle. It can reduce vibration by up to 42 per cent.
Melbourne's RMIT University has developed the bat in conjunction with the Australian Research Council, bat manufacturer Kookaburra Sport and sensor company Davidson Measurement.

The County Cricket Bats

The county Cricket bats were first made at St. Neots in Huntingdonshire by the Trimmins family in 1904. The Production continued here until the factory moved to Huntingdon in 1983. The craftsmen from St. Neots are still making the cricket bats at Huntingdon which enables us to use the slogan 'bats made for centuries'. Our bats are still made in the traditional way in order to get the best possible bat from the selected materials. For this reason that the County Cricket Bats are sought after all over the world and are available wherever cricket is played.

History

The Cricket Bats were not always this shape. Before the 18th century bats tended to be shaped similarly to how hockey sticks are currently shaped.

This may well have been a legacy of the game's reputed origins. Although the first forms of cricket are lost in the mists of time, it may be that the game was first played using shepherds' crooks Until the rules of cricket were formalised in the 19th century, the game usually had lower stumps, the ball was bowled underarm (Now a days always bowled overarm), and batsmen did not wear protective pads, as they do nowadays. As the game changed, so it was found that a differently shaped bat was better.

The Cricket bat which is generally recognised as the oldest Bat still in existence is dated 1729 and is on display in the Sandham Room at the Oval in London.

Cricket Bat

The Cricket bat is shaped something like a paddle, the cricket bat consisting of a padded handle similar to - but sturdier than - that of a tennis racquet, which is normally cylindrical in shape. This widens into the blade of the cricket bat, a wider wooden block flat on one side and with a V-shaped ridge on the other to provide greater air flow in the follow through and greater strength to the over-all bat. The flat side (the front of the bat) is used to hit the ball. The point at which the handle widens into the blade is known as the shoulder of the bat, and the bottom of the blade is known as the toe of the bat.

The Cricket bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from the Cricket-bat Willow (Salix alba var. caerulea), treated with linseed oil. This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, while also being light in weight.The Cricket bat incorporates a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The rules of the game limit the allowable size for a Cricket bat as not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in (108 mm) wide. The Cricket bats typically weigh from 2 lb 8 oz to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg) though there is no standard. The handle of the Cricket bat is usually covered with a rubber or cloth sleeve to enhance grip and the face of the bat may have a protective film.

Modern Cricket bats are usually machine made, however a few specialists still make hand-made bats, mostly for professional players.