Bamboo ‘could be the stuff of batsmen’s dreams’
CRICKET bats should be made from bamboo, say experts at the University of Cambridge. The gentle thwack of leather on willow has been a quintessential sound of an English summer for 130 years.
But bamboo is more powerful, offers a better ‘ sweet spot’ – and delivers more energy to the ball, according to new research.
In other words, Twenty20 stars like Ben Stokes and Chris Gayle will hit it even further!
The controversial idea could have some fans choking on their tea.
But it would expand the game, boost the environment – and be cheaper, say the University of Cambridge team.
They are hoping the MCC will permit bats made from pandas’ favourite food. Current rules state they must be wooden. Bamboo is a grass.
Co-author, Dr Darshil Shah, a former member of Thailand’s under-19 national cricket team, said: “This is a batsman’s dream. The sweet-spot on a bamboo bat makes it much easier to hit a four off a yorker for starters, but it’s exciting for all kinds of strokes.
“We’d just need to adjust our technique to make the most of it, and the bat’s design requires a little optimisation too.”
Dr Shah and co-author Ben Tinkler-Davies compared a specially commissioned laminated bamboo prototype with a typical willow bat.
It was much stronger – resisting three times greater strain and holding higher loads.
Thinner bamboo bats would remain just as powerful, they say. Cricketers can swing lighter blades faster – transferring more energy to the ball. The researchers also found bamboo is 22 per cent stiffer – increasing the speed at which the ball leaves the bat.
Experiments included microscopic analysis, video capture technology, computer modelling and ‘compression testing’.
In the factory, a bat is passed through a hydraulic roller which applies up to two tonnes of pressure, reducing thickness by a fifth of an inch. After five hours, bamboo’s hardness was twice willow’s. Most excitingly, the ‘sweet-spot’ performed 19 per cent better. It was almost an inch wide and one and a half inches long – significantly larger than on a typical bat. It was also closer to the toe – just five inches away at its best point – making it easier to hit full length deliveries.
As far as comfort goes, there is a similar amount of force on players’ hands when they strike the ball, so they wouldn’t feel extra vibration.
Good quality English willow is scarce. It takes up to 15 years to mature. Even then, up to 30 per cent of the wood is discarded.
By contrast, Moso and Guadua, the two most suitable types of bamboo, grow in abundance in China, Southeast Asia and South America.
They mature twice as fast. The cell structure in the laminated material is also more regular so less raw material is wasted during manufacture.
High performance, low production costs and increased sustainability make bamboo bats a “viable and ethical alternative,” the study claims.
Mr Tinkler-Davies, a student at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation lab, said: “Cricket brings you really close to nature.
“You spend hours out in the field, but I think the sport can do a lot more for the environment by promoting sustainability.
“We’ve identified a golden opportunity to achieve that while also helping lower income countries to produce bats at lower cost.”
The finest modern cricket bats can cost up to £700.
In the 19th century, bat makers experimented with various woods. From the 1890s, they settled on the sapwood of Salix Alba.
The light coloured willow offered high stiffness, low density and visual appeal. The use of cane has been limited to handles and pads.
Working with local bat manufacturer Garrard & Flack, the researchers made their full-size bamboo bat.
The materials used to make bats are regulated by the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) – the sport’s governing body. Law 5.3.2 states “The blade shall consist solely of wood”, which could be problematic.
Dr Shah said: “Bamboo is a grass not a wood so there would need to be discussions with the MCC. But we think playing with a bamboo bat would be within the spirit of the game because it’s a plant-based material and cane, a type of grass, is already used in the handle.”
But what about that iconic sound of leather on willow?
Tinkler-Davies said: “We tested that too. The frequency when willow strikes the ball’s very similar. Whether you’re playing or spectating, you wouldn’t notice much of a difference.”
And Dr Shah has a message for those left feeling “it’s just not cricket”.
He said: “Tradition is really important but think about how much cricket bats, pads, gloves and helmets have already evolved. The width and thickness of bats have changed dramatically over the decades.
“So if we can go back to having thinner blades but made from bamboo, while improving performance, outreach and sustainability, then why not?”
The researchers now hope to enter into discussions with the MCC and leading bat manufacturers.