Evolution of Cricket Bats
Cricket
has a proud heritage in England. The game, in some form, has been played in the
UK since the 17th century and has grown to become one of England’s national
sports. With the upcoming Ashes tournament being held in venues around the UK,
the level of excitement surrounding cricket has never been higher. But, the
game that we know and love today is almost unrecognizable to what our ancestors
would have played. As the rules of the game changed over time, the cricket
equipment used to play it has inevitably evolved.
Over the history of cricket, the
bat is the piece of equipment that has changed most dramatically. Although to
the layperson, the humble cricket bat may seem like a simple piece of sporting
gear, it is actually the product of hundreds
of years of evolution and innovation.
The
Beginnings
The first recorded crickets bats
bear little resemblance to the bats we know today. These early bats, first used
in 1624, looked more like hockey sticks. They had a long, thin handle with a
wider base that was used to hit the ball.
Cricket bats soon began to
change, soon resembling the bats used today. However, until 1771, there were no
restrictions regarding the width of bats. This led to certain unscrupulous
players using bats that were as wide as the stumps! Naturally, this was
considered to be unfair, so rules preventing bats being wider than 4.25 inches
came into force.
Stronger
Bats
Until 1830, cricket bats were
designed from one bit of wood, typically willow. In any case, this development
implied that bats were inclined to breaking and breaking. To keep this, bats
began to be produced using two bits of wood. The handle was made independently
and 'joined' to the edge of the bat. This made the bat a lot more grounded, and
consequently more secure. This technique for building cricket bats has
changed almost no right up 'til today.
Other
Materials
Throughout the modern history of
the sport, a number of cricketers have experimented with bats made from
materials other than willow. Notably, in 1979 Australian cricketer Dennis
Lillee used a bat made from aluminum. However, he soon reverted to using a
wooden bat after the England players complained the aluminum was damaging the
ball. Also, in 2005, Ricky Ponting began using a bat that had a carbon fiber-reinforced
polymer support down the spine. This bat was soon banned by the ICC because it
was thought to give players an unfair advantage.
Cricket
Bats Today
These days, there
are many distinctive cricket bats
accessible, from shoddy cricket bats for kids and novices to proficient bats
costing several pounds. Notwithstanding, they are commonly all built similarly.
They have elastic going through them which goes about as suspension. This
anticipates vibration going through your hands when the ball is hit. They
additionally have an edge to think the quality of the wood towards the center of
the bat, where the ball is ordinarily hit. It stays to be checked whether
cricket bats will develop further into what's to come.
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