Improvisations like cuts, late cuts, leg glances, gliding were visible. With such changes in the shape of bats, the techniques of batting underwent changes. The weight of the bats was between two pounds to two pounds four ounces. Subsequently, the bat manufacturers started using white willows which proved to be much lighter. English bat manufacturer M/S C.C.Bussey started using sapwood which happened to be lighter and attractive. Hence the search was to find better options. Such bats were comparatively lighter of the time but used to weigh up to a massive five pounds. English Willow or the Salix Alba Caerulea was the initial choice for being resilient. With the changed shape of the bat, experimentation went on to choose the right quality of wood which can withstand the strokes of the hard cricket ball having the desired resilience. This led to change in batting techniques and batsmen started playing both vertical and horizontals shots instead of going only for horizontal wild swings. This happened by a player named Shock White playing for Ryegate against Hambleton in 1771.To end such unsportsmanlike like activities, Hambledon’s recommendation that the size of the bat can be only maximum four and quarter inches was universally accepted. It went to the extent of players resorting to high width bats and one even to the size of stumps perfectly protecting the wickets. Having reached the present shape, the size of the bat became an apple of discord. It was only in the year 1820 when the law permitted round arm bowling, the shape of bat started to take the modern form. This led to vertical swing by the batsman rather than horizontal sweeping as the ball started to bounce.
After the law of the game allowed the bowlers to loop the ball in the air underarm, the transition began to happen to the shape of the cricket bat. The shape of the initial bat was like a hockey stick to facilitate hitting the ball which used to be delivered underarm.
Let now talk about the origin or the evolution or the instrument called a bat in cricket.
0 kommentar(er)
