The bat or willow is the batsman's 'strike weapon'. It is mandatory that the blade of the bat be made of wood. The handle contains cane with rubber slices to prevent jolts, and give a shock-absorbing effect. Bats with slightly longer handles (known as long-handle bats) are available, but the overall length remains the same i.e. not more than 38 inches. The number of rubber grips around the handle depends entirely on the player concerned. For instance, Clive Lloyd, who was a big man, had seven layers of rubber grips on the handle, to enable him to 'grip' the bat firmly with his huge palms!
 

The width of the bat was not defined until a couple of centuries back. In 1771, a player named Shock White came out to bat in a game at Hambledon, with a willow that was wider than the width of the wickets! There were protests by the fielding side, and this led to the authorities fixing the width of the bat. A bat cannot be broader than 4 ¼ inches.

Bats sometimes require stringing (especially at the bottom) or taping to prevent them from splitting. This depends on the extent to which the bat has been used to bash up the ball! The stringing and taping cannot be more than 1/16th of an inch in thickness, so that its width doesn't increase abnormally. The 'wear and tear' of the bat also depends upon the relative hardness of the balls against whom it is used. While all decent cricket balls generally weigh 5 ½ ounces, their hardness can vary from ball to ball.

In the earlier days, a new bat required oiling before use, and also subsequently when it dried up completely. The oiling was necessary to mae the willow more durable, just as wooden furniture requires to be polished from time to time. However, modern bats have a polyester coating and thus do not require oiling

The laws do not define the weight of the bat, and it differs from player to player. Clive Lloyd used a heavy bat, weighing 3 lbs.2 oz. Sachin Tendulkar's bat also falls within the same range. The average weight of a bat is around 2 lbs. 10 oz. Mohammed Azharuddin had one of the lightest bats in the business. It used to be said that his bat was more like a walking stick or a magic wand.

The present-day bats are much superior to those 20 years ago, and even in junior-level matches, youngsters can manage to clear the boundary rope quite easily and consistently. The prices of modern bats vary from Rs.2,500/- to Rs.10,000/-, depending upon the brand and the willow (English willow is more expensive than the Kashmir willow).

At the international level, leading players sign contracts with certain sponsors. The sponsors provide them with bats free of charge, and the players return the favour by being seen on TV and the print media, using bats that bear the label of that particular sponsor. In the past, there used to be instances wherein the players would use a bat of a particular brand (of their liking) and merely stick the label of the sponsor on top. These players thus fulfilled their professional commitment, and also used a bat of their choice!

In 1979-80, Australian speedster Dennis Lillee came up with the idea of using an aluminium bat, which had been made specially for him by a sponsor. Naturally, he must have been promised a good price. He decided to use it in Test cricket, as at that point of time, there was no stipulation in the laws that the bat had to be made only of wood. After he played a couple of deliveries in a Test against the touring English side and essayed a drive that almost went for four, Mike Brearley, the English captain; lodged a protest with the umpires. His contention was that the bat was damaging the ball. The game was held up. Lillee would not budge, despite the fact that the umpires had chosen to agree with the Brearley. The match resumed only after Greg Chappell, the Australian captain, strode out with a traditional bat and commanded Lillee to continue. Lillee, a man with an innate 'box-office' sense, 'flung' the aluminium bat (he picked it up later) and carried out with the traditional one.

Following this episode, the law was amended to include the 'only wood' stipulation.

The striker can be out only if the ball touches the glove of the hand that is holding the bat. If the ball strikes the hand not holding the bat, he can't be given out 'caught'. Any runs that he scores in this situation will go down as 'leg byes', as the hand that is not holding the bat when the ball hits it, is to be regarded as part of his body. Similarly, if the ball strikes this 'non-holding' hand, the batsman can be declared out LBW, if the bowling team appeals and the umpire reckons that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps

If the bat accidentally slips out of the striker's hands and makes contact with the ball in mid-air, he will be given out 'caught' if a member of the bowling side holds the ricochet on the full. This is so because the bat itself is a piece of equipment, which the batsman uses to play the ball. If a ball crosses the boundary after hitting a bat that has slipped out of the striker's hand, the striker will get four runs.

The batsman will be declared out ''hit wicket', if a chip of the bat comes out and disturbs the stumps or bails.

- By Piloo Reporter