cricket bats

A cricket bat is used by batsmen in the sport of cricket. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624.

This specialised bat is shaped something like a paddle, consisting of a padded handle similar to - but sturdier than - that of a tennis racquet, which is usually cylindrical in shape. This widens into the blade of the bat, a wider wooden block flat on one side and with a V-shaped ridge on the other to provide greater air flow in the follow through and greater strength to the over-all bat. The flat side (the front of the bat) is used to hit the ball. The point at which the handle widens into the blade is known as the shoulder of the bat, and the bottom of the blade is known as the toe of the bat.

The bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from the Cricket-bat Willow (Salix alba var. caerulea), treated with raw (unboiled) linseed oil. The oil has a protective function, but also increases surface friction with the ball, thus control. This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, while also being light in weight. It incorporates a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The current design of a cane handle spliced into a willow blade was the invention in the 1880s of Charles Richardson, a pupil of Brunel and the chief engineer of the Severn railway tunnel.^[1] The rules of the game limit the allowable size for a bat as not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in (108 mm) wide. Bats typically weigh from 2 lb 8 oz to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg) though there is no standard. The handle is usually covered with a rubber or cloth sleeve to enhance grip and the face of the bat may have a protective film.

Modern bats are usually machine made, however a few specialists still make hand-made bats, mostly for professional players.

Bats were not always this shape. Before the 18th century bats tended to be shaped similarly to how hockey sticks are currently shaped. This may well have been a legacy of the game's reputed origins. Although the first forms of cricket are lost in the mists of time, it may be that the game was first played using shepherds' crooks.

Until the rules of cricket were formalised in the 19th century, the game usually had lower stumps, the ball was bowled underarm (whereas now it is bowled overarm except on very rare occasions), and batsmen did not wear protective pads, as they do nowadays. As the game changed, so it was found that a differently shaped bat was better. The bat which is generally recognised as the oldest Bat still in existence is dated 1729 and is on display in the Sandham Room at the Oval in London.

Most bats, when first purchased, are not advised to be used straight away. They often include a small manual advising, for the safety of the bat, to knock in the bat by hitting the surface with a cricket ball or a special bat mallet first. This compacts the fibres within the bat and protects the bat from snapping which would often be the case should the bat not be knocked in. It is advised by many cricket bat manufacturers, including Gray-Nicolls, Puma AG and Kookaburra Sport, that the time spent knocking the bat in should be around 3 to 6 hours. However it is worth it, as the bat becomes more controllable, manipulative of the ball and provides the user with more power.

Some bats, however can be purchased pre-knocked (in meaning that in the bat's creation the bat has already been knocked). The price is higher but saves the owner a lot of time. These bats are said by most^{[weasel words]} to have a negligible improving effect upon a given innings, but their main purpose is to increase the comfort and confidence of the batsman and to promote the quality and range of bats from their manufacturer.