There is a famous image of legendary South African cricketer Barry Richards holding a bat in each hand. He is holding a thin bat with which he used to play in his right hand, while in the left, he holds a 'super bat' of the modern age, looking in disbelief at how much heavier it is.
Since the inception of cricket, the batsmen have enjoyed a considerable advantage over the bowlers. Jarrod Kimber's Test Cricket mentions a famous line of Mr GT Knight, "It is universally admitted that batting dominated bowling to an extent detrimental to the game." A new study published in the Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology proves this point further.
In the study, scientists have said that cricket bats made of bamboo have higher sustainability as compared to the traditional willow bats. Traditional English willow, which has been a principle material for cricket bats for centuries, takes 15 years to grow, whereas bamboo is fast-growing and comes at a cheaper price.
The study opines that the usage of bamboo can also increase the reach of the game. “It (bamboo bat) is also very prevalent in countries that are taking up cricket such as China, Japan, South America as well,” said Dr Darshil Shah according to a report by The Guardian.
But will it come as an advantage to the batsmen?
Yes, it will. Bats made out of bamboo are much stronger than traditional bats, which will help the batsman to hit the ball harder. Modern-day bats are filled with 'sweet spots'. And the number of those spots will only increase in a bamboo bat.
“The sweet spot is a region on the bat where, when the ball hits on to that region, the ball flies away in high speed,” said Shah, meaning the bamboo bats provide more scope to hit the ball further, according to The Guardian.