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The Evolution and History of the Cricket Bat

Will Brown by Will Brown, May 12, 2025

Harris cricket bat

With the earliest versions of the game played over 500 years ago, cricket has a storied history of constant evolutions that spans the globe. The history of the cricket bat is tied closely to the sport’s expansion, with changes to regulations of bat designs coming as recently as 2017. In this article, we’ve traced the evolution of the cricket bat from its humble beginnings in medieval England to the modern technological equipment that it is today.

Intro to the Cricket Bat’s Evolution

While cricket remains one of the most popular sports in the world, we understand that many of our American readers will be unfamiliar with the sport. To get started, we’ve covered details on what the bat is called and where, which can be especially helpful when watching and betting on international competitions.

We’ve then traced the cricket bat’s advancements from its earliest years until today. From there, we’ve shared details about its design and construction, some notable manufacturers, and how bats are prepared for competitions. To round out the guide, we’ve looked at advancements that could alter how bats are made.

Axe, Stick, or Willow: What is a Cricket Bat Called?

Owing to cricket’s popularity in England, the game spread rapidly throughout the world through the expansion of the British Empire. It’s even believed that American baseball was an offshoot of cricket, with early settlers turning their back on the original “gentleman’s game” as a sign of independence.

Because of its global appeal, cricket’s trusty bat is often referred to by different names across the world. So, what is a cricket bat called? Although “bat” is the standard name, players in England often use the term “willow” to refer to the wood it is traditionally made from. “Axe” and “stick” are also widely used slang in cricketing circles.

These terms are also widely used in Australia, India, and the Caribbean. Often, cricket bats may also be referred to by their manufacturers, including Gray-Nicholls and Kookaburra, which are two popular and highly respected brands. The designs of certain bats can also be used, such as Australian cricketing legend Ricky Ponting’s “Kahuna” or Stuart Surridge & Co’s “Turbo”.

The Early Years of Cricket Bats

The history of the cricket bat has come a long way since the game’s beginnings. The earliest official reference to the sport of cricket dates back to the 16th century, with primitive bats shaped similar to shepherd’s crooks that hit a ball bowled underarm along the ground.

While not much is known about these early bats, they were likely shaped from sturdy tree branches that could withstand balls shaped from wrapped cork or wool. By the 1700s, bats evolved to be shaped closer to hockey sticks, which were fashioned from oak, ash, poplar, or willow.

Bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling it in 1750, which led to the formation of the modern straight bat. This was roughly 38 inches long with a heavy swell as the bottom. After a 1771 incident saw a player use a bat as wide as a wicket, the Laws of Cricket were amended in 1774 to create the first regulations for bat sizes.

These regulations for bat sizes remain in place today. Bats in the 1800s were carved from a single piece of wood, with English Willow becoming the dominant material due to its light weight, strength, durability, and resistance against splitting. After round arm bowling was introduced in the 1800s, the swell was raised higher to accommodate for the bounce.

With the ball traveling faster, cricket bat manufacturers included spliced handles in the 1830s. These then evolved to include springs made of whalebone and, eventually, Indian rubber. In time, cane was used to craft the handles, with a rubber surface implemented for grip.

The Modern Revolution in Bat Construction

When it comes to the cricket bat’s evolution in the past two centuries, the aesthetic changes have been relatively minor compared to the early years of regulation. English Willow remains the gold standard for cricket bat construction, though India’s Kashmir Willow is often used as a more affordable alternative.

However, the advancements in manufacturing technology saw several interesting incarnations of the bat from the mid-20th century. Manufacturer Slazenger introduced shoulderless bats in the 1960s to enhance batting power, while the double-sided bat was introduced in 1970. In the same decade, aluminum bats made a brief appearance.

Modern handles now consist of laminated cane bound with twine to improve flexibility and reduce impacts of shock on batters’ hands. Advanced pressing techniques were implemented to improve bat resilience, and manufacturers learnt to dry and compact wood to allow bats that could be denser yet weigh the same as earlier bats.

Design Features of Modern Bats

So what are cricket bats made of today? You may be surprised to learn that while many other sporting codes have introduced synthetic materials into their equipment to improve weight and durability, English and Kashmir Willows remain the dominant material. However, how they are used has changed in modern variations.

If you’re live betting at one of the top online cricket betting apps with streaming capabilities, pay attention to the bat in play’s profile. While a cricket bat’s blade will always have a flat face, the back of the face, or spine, can have a varying profile to determine its power.

If weight is distributed on the spine toward the handle, it can be easier to control but less powerful, with the opposite true for weight distributed at the bottom. Some manufacturers may remove wood from the back of the bat to optimize the “sweet spot”, which is a point around the middle of the bat’s blade that distributes maximum acceleration to the ball.

The edges of contemporary bats can also be widened to up to 1.56 inches to maximize the hitting area. The shape of the toe can also be enlarged up to a point to increase the size of the sweet spot. With the advancement of modern computer imaging technology, manufacturers are able to refine the performance metrics of bats to suit different play styles.

Notable Bat Manufacturers

While there are many different cricket bat manufacturers operating in the world, there are a select few that are favored by cricket’s elite players. Perhaps the best known is Gray-Nicholls, an English company that was founded in 1876. The company has been behind some of the biggest advances in bat making, including the iconic Scoop bat.

Another English manufacturer, Gunn & Moore, is also held in high prestige for its premium batting products. It is perhaps best known for its DXM manufacturing process, which uses Computer Assisted Modelling to create reinforced bats. Its GM Now technology also means that bats can be used immediately rather than requiring to be knocked in first.

In India, Sareen Sports Industries has become a market leader in their cricket equipment manufacturing, which as been spurred further by the popularity of IPL cricket. And in Australia, Kookaburra has become iconic due to its boundary-pushing approach. A key player in the cricket bat’s evolution since 1890, Kookaburra’s pioneering designs have inspired both admiration and controversy.

Preparation and Maintenance of Bats

One of the key processes that have endured throughout the history of the cricket bat is a preparation method called “knocking in” the bat. This hardens and conditions the blade’s surface to protect it from cracking against hard bowls. To do this, the bat’s face is repeatedly hit with a mallet or cricket ball until the willow fibers are compressed.

Knocking in tends to take several hours over multiple sessions, and helps improve its longevity. Another method to help protect the bad included the application of linseed oil or other specially formulated bat oils. This prevents deterioration from moisture and cracking. A well-prepared and maintained bat will last a professional athlete between 1,000 to 1,500 runs over three or four seasons.

Future Advancements in Bat Construction

Now that we’ve answered what is a cricket bat called and described its evolution, you may be wondering what’s next from here. Due to strict regulations, there is a limit on how much manufacturers can experiment with materials. For example, a 2021 study found bamboo could be superior to Willow for bat construction. Bamboo is also much faster to grow than willow and is more sustainable.

However, the sport’s legal code only allows wood to be used in the blade. As bamboo is a grass, this means it cannot be properly implemented. There are calls for this to change in the future, but knowing how traditional the game’s regulators are, this could take time to change.

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