A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment that batters use to smash the ball in the sport of cricket. It normally consists of a cane handle coupled to a flat-fronted willow-wood blade. A batter who is making their ground can use it to avoid being run out if they grip the bat and touch the ground with it. The bat must be no longer than 38 inches (965 mm) in length and no wider than 4.25 inches in width (108 mm). The first time it was used was in 1624. Since 1979, legislation has required bats to be manufactured entirely of wood.
A cricket bat's blade is a wooden block with a ridge on the reverse (behind) that concentrates wood in the middle, where the ball is usually hit. A splice connects the blade to a long cylindrical cane handle, similar to that of a tennis racquet from the mid-20th century. A rubber grip is frequently found on the handle. The shoulders of the bat are the edges of the blade closest to the handle, while the toe of the bat is the bottom of the blade. Cricket bats come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each designed for a specific style of play. Here we take a look at them.
1. English Willow Bats:
Most bat manufacturers favour the English willow because it is a soft and fibrous wood. The willow is manufactured from the highest grade wood and is designed to provide maximum performance and the best possible outcome. As a result, it is favoured by the majority of international cricketers. Every professional cricketer wants to play with an English willow bat, thus it's been mass-produced in vast quantities. The English willow is generally softer and has thicker blades than the Kashmir willow. The English willow, often known as white willow, is mostly found in England. It can be used to play with a leather ball.
2. Kashmir Willow Bats:
In India, Kashmir willow is the most sought-after wood for cricket bats. It can only be found in the Indian state of Kashmir. The appearance and quality of a Kashmir willow bat differ from that of an English willow bat. In comparison to English willow, the wood used to manufacture Kashmir willow bats is harder, and the bat is heavier. Because the bats do not perform as well as English willow, they are not as popular. Because these bats are brownish in colour, we can clearly distinguish between Kashmir and English willow. Because the Kashmir willow bat is handcrafted, the price of the bat is a little more. The Kashmir willow bat is extremely light.
3. Softball Cricket Bats:
The softball cricket bat is only used for gully cricket and is not used in international cricket. This bat is manufactured with soft rubber, & excellent wood or fibre. Professional players do not utilise these sorts of cricket bats. Softball cricket bats are less expensive than Kashmir and English willow bats. Children use this kind of cricket bats to play at home or in the gullies. However, it may be the best piece of equipment for youngsters to learn cricket at a young age.
4. Training Cricket Bats:
A training cricket bat is a piece of cricket equipment that is primarily used to improve your cricket skills. Because these bats are not made from a single willow, they can be made by a manufacturer or with English or Kashmir willow. Professional players use this cricket bat to train before matches. These bats come in handy by bowling coaches as well as ace bowlers in practice.
Some popular brands whose bats are used by international cricketers:
Kookaburra Sport
Sareen Sports Industries (SS)
Gunn & Moore (GM)
Spartan Sports
Sanspareils Greenlands (SG)
MRF
Reebok
