The cricket bat is one of the most required and crucial equipments used in the cricket game. It is used to strike the ball. Its first use was back in 1624, but in 1979 a law changed stated that bat must be mandatorily made from wood.
Each bat consists of a big handle which is used to strike the ball and is attached to the face of the bat. The cane or the handle is covered with a rubber grip that gives protection as well as comfort to the batsman.
Cricket bats are the special and unique equipment used by the cricketers. Cricket bats might come in various sizes but the length of the cricket bat might be no more than 38 inches means it is the standard cricket size and the width is not more than 4.25 inches. A cricket bat is used by beginners, club and professional player. The cricket bats are made for different styles or forms of play.
Bats are made from willow, it is naturally fibrous wood. The willow is treated with oil that allows the protective function to it. Each bat has grains that are the lines visible on the bat face.
The edges of the blade closest to the handle are the shoulders of the bat. The bottom blade is the toe of the bat-like human beings have.
There are four different Types of Cricket Bats you must be aware of that includes:
English Willow
English willow cricket bats differ in standard form. Because wealth expertise helps to turn a willow sapling into a tree. It is fit for cricket bat production, there are now only a small collection of UK organizations that are skillfully manufacturing English Willow for the entire global market.
Here is a guideline to judge the value of your blade that includes:
Grade A or Grade 1 plus is the highest and best quality of English Willow bat that is used generally by international superstar cricketers but increasingly available via limited edition of cricket bats for the common people. Blemishes, knots and markings must be less, while the grains will be even, straight and of a healthy number of a bat. It is a test cricket match standard bat.
You can also choose in quality to Grade 1 which is also the highest quality, Grade 2 or Grade B, Grade C or Grade 3 is another quality of English willow bat and Grade 4 is the last quality among the English Willow Bat.
With every step down you will get a discolouration as well as markings on the bat and the grains will be irregular, plentiful as well as wobbly. G4 or Grade 4 English willow cricket bat is likely to be non-oil, fixed and bleached with an anti-scuff sheet as the standard one.
A rough indicator would be fit for:
• G1 plus: Test Cricket match standard
• Grade 1: Professional players
• Grade 2: Top club standard
• Grade 3: Lower –league standard
• Grade 4: Beginner players
Nevertheless, of your level of playing, if you wish to reach the maximum level of performance then you must purchase the highest quality of cricket bat that you can afford for yourself.
Another material used for the handle of the cricket bat is made from a plastic grip. It is made from cane which is attached to the blade via a splice.
Maintenance and Recommendation
English willow bats are advised for playing with a hard cricket ball. Before you use the cricket bat, it needs knocking in as well as oiling. Knocking-in is nothing but the striking process on the surface of the bat with the old cricket ball. It lowers the risk of bat snapping.
The bat’s face requires oiling with raw linseed oil before play to keep the surface of the bat tacky. It also helps to protect the layer of the bat on the wood. It allows the better control of the shot to the batsman.
Some Popular English willow bats
• Gunn Moore Flare Dxm Original Le is one of the English Willow Cricket Bat
• GM Apex Dmx Cricket bat
• Kookaburra Blaze 150 cricket bat
• Gray-Nicolls Players PP Cricket Bat
• SG VS 319 Extreme Cricket Bat
• Gray- Nicolls Omega XRD Power Blade is also an English Willow Cricket bat
Kashmir willow
The most used wood for the cricket bat production is willow. As stated, there are two kinds of willow that are:
• English Willow
• Kashmir Willow
English Willow is found in England while the Kashmir Willow material is found in the Kashmir region. These two kinds of Willow differ in their quality and appearance too. In terms of Appearance, Kashmir willow is brown, while the English willow is white.
As it is different in colour, one can easily recognize the English or Kashmir Willow cricket bat.
Kashmir Willow cricket bats are used by the players in the cricket match. As their name is Kashmir willow, it comes from both India and Pakistan. It is made in the Jammu and Kashmir region of both the countries India and Pakistan. It is made from the wood of the tree named willow in the northern parts of India. Saal and Teak production is also used for the production of bats in the north-western area. But bats made from Saal and Teak are not of the high quality as compared to Kashmir Willow Bats. Kashmir Willow Bats are expensive as well as handmade
Why Kashmir willow material is used?
Kashmir willow material is used in the bat’s production is not only durable, tough, light in weight but also shock resistant. This is the reason why Kashmir willow bats are preferred by the Professional Cricket batsman.
Maintenance
The face of the Kashmir willow bats or the striking place of the bat should be covered with the protection film by the player. Most cricket bats are not ready for immediate use after purchasing them. It needs knocking in the process which is striking the surface or the face of the bat with the old cricket ball.
It reduces the risk of bat snapping and the surface of the bat should be an oil with raw linseed oil so that surface of the bat is tacky. It gives the protection to the bat and better access to shot to the batsman.
Some renowned Kashmir willow cricket bats:
• MRF street Fighter popular willow cricket bat is short handle
• SG Maxcover Kashmir Willow is another Cricket Bat
• DSC Scorer is one of the Kashmir Willow Cricket bats that is short handle
• SG RSD Spark Kashmir is also famous Willow Cricket bat
• Adidas Master Blaster Rookie Kashmir Willow is also preferred Cricket bat
- The MCC or(Marylebone Cricket Club) rule 6 states the following:
Length and Width:
The bat should not be more than 38 inches or 96.5 cm in length. The cricket bat blade should be made only from wood and it should cross 4 ¼ inches or 10.8 cm at the widest part.
Covering the blade:
The blade is covered for protection purpose, repair or strengthening. The material should be 1/16 inches or 1.56 mm in thickness and should not cause any damage to the ball.
Training Cricket Bats
A training cricket bat is unique and specialized ones to improve and aid you to practice your cricket game. There is not any specific piece of wood in the manufacturing of training cricket bats. They can be English Willow bats or Kashmir willow bats as the name suggests the training cricket bats. These bats are used for training in the cricket field.
Sizes of training cricket bats
These bats come in various widths and sizes. Some of the training bats widths are half than the normal ones. Some of the bats do have short handle cane.
Maintenance
Just like various other cricket bats, training cricket bats also require oiling and knocking in process for maintenance.
Knocking-in is the process for hitting the old ball or with the special mallet that helps to lower the risk of cricket snapping of a bat.
It also needs to cover its surface with the fine raw linseed oil that aids to keep the bat surface tacky. Training cricket bat helps not only to improve the cricket game but also to enhance it.
Some of the training bats include:
- Kookaburra Kahuna Shadow is one of the cricket bat used for training purpose
- Kookaburra Kahuna Fielder is another type of cricket bat for practice purpose
- Grey Nicolls Fielding bat is used for mastering the art of ball middling and practising, it is also used while defending or driving
- Grey Nicolls cloud catcher cricket bat is a type of English Willow bat for better eye-coordination and to improve your hands.
Softball Cricket bats
Softball type of cricket bat is generally used to play with a tennis ball or the softball. The name softball cricket bat is given as it is made from soft rubber. They are made up of excellent quality of fibre or wood so you can play well with a tennis ball or softball.
They are slightly different from the Professional Cricket bat. When it comes to cost, they are not at all expensive when compared to Kashmir willow or English willow bats. You can purchase your softball cricket bat after checking the price of it.
Thecricketblog.com is the renowned website that sells all kinds of cricket bat such as Softball bat, Kashmir willow bat, English Willow cricket bat and a training cricket bat. It offers the highest quality of cricket bat that aids you to sharpen your cricket skills at an affordable price.
Maintenance
Kashmir and English willow cricket bats need knocking in as well as oiling to improve striking. On the other end, softball Cricket ball is anytime ready to play. They do not need any kind of oiling or knocking in as tennis or softball ball bats does not require to havestrokes in it. It does need a lot of power to strike the ball. Furthermore oiling as well as knocking in your softball bat is not advisable.
A softball cricket ball is for everyone and not only for beginners who plays softball cricket match. As there is various kind of softball cricket bats but for the beginners who stepped forward in the field of cricket game are advised to use:
- County Crown Big Test selection bat
- Grey-Nicolls Kwik Plastic Cricket bat
- Gm Six6 softball cricket bat
