Publications
Partners
A Cambridge University study has found that cricket bats made from bamboo instead of the traditional willow could increase the speed at which the ball leaves the bat.
According to the study, bamboo is 22% stiffer than willow, which has been used to make bats for more than a century, and that therefore causes the ball to fly off the meat of the bat faster.
Moreover, researchers say that a cricket bat made of bamboo is also cheaper to produce, more sustainable and stronger than the traditional cricket bat on top of having a larger sweet spot on the blade.
The lower cost of production could boost participation and economic revenue for India and China, which accounts for 65% of the world's bamboo exports.
Chris Gayle batting in the Indian Premier League. (IPL - Twitter)
While a bamboo bat could have T20 bludgeoners like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and David Miller licking their lips at the prospect, the innovation would need to get Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) approval.
The MCC govern cricket's rules and conduct, and they specifically say that "the blade shall consist solely of wood".
"Bamboo is a grass, not a wood," said Dr Darshil Shah of Cambridge's Centre for Natural Material Innovation, "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."
