NOW THEY’RE SERVING UP BATS WITH CHIPS!
ENGLAND’S big-hitters will have their bat speeds, backlifts and follow-throughs measured using cutting-edge technology showcased at the Champions Trophy. New bat sensors, developed by American technology giants Intel, will be mounted on the top of the bat handle — beneath the rubber grip — and generate data for every stroke a player makes. The new technology has been offered to each team at this year’s ‘mini World Cup’, with Ben Stokes, Alex Hales and Jason Roy to trial the equipment for England. The data will be used by coaches to evaluate a player’s technique, and will also be available for analysis by television broadcasters — though not in real time, as is the case with bowling speed. Sportsmail columnist Nasser Hussain says: ‘As a coaching tool it’s vital. Something like this can show you the exact angle of your bat. ‘Take Jason Roy, struggling a little bit at the moment. Say this technology had been in place for two or three years, he could have a net at The Oval, play normally, and then take the data from two years ago and say, “Is everything I’m doing with my bat exactly the same it was?” If you know it was, you know that’s not the issue.’ Other innovations that will be brought to the tournament include drones equipped with HD and infrared cameras for in-depth pitch analysis, and virtual reality experience zones where VR headsets will allow fans to experience facing a virtual bowler.