It might happen in some time from now that bamboo wouldbe used to make cricket bats instead of willow. According to a study conductedby the University of Cambridge, bamboo can be and should be used to manufacturethe bats as it would be economically sustainable and would help players in thegame too.
The traditional cricket bats are made of English orKashmir willow but bamboo seems to be a cheaper option, said the researchers-Darshil Shah and Ben Tinkler-Davies.
According to the media reports, Shah asserted that, “Thesweet spot on a bamboo bat makes it much easier to hit a four off a Yorker forstarters, but it’s exciting for all kinds of strokes.”
According to the Guardian newspaper, issues come up withthe supply of English willow as it takes 15 years before harvesting a tree. Andto keep the process going, new trees must be planted.
“Between 15 percent and 30 percent of the wood is alsowasted during bat production”, it added.
However, Shah believes that bamboo is “cheap, available inabundance, fast-growing and sustainable material,”
Bamboo shoots are able to grow from previous stumps, andin seven years they can reach maturity.
He further added that “Bamboo bats are prevalent in thecountries like China, Japan, South America.”
According to the duo researchers published an article in thejournal of ‘Sports Engineering and Technology,’ their prototype bat blade wasmade out of bamboo shoot strips which were then stuck together with a resinadhesive and formed into layers.
Interestingly the researchers found that the bat was“stiffer, harder and stronger than those made of willow, although more brittle.It also had a similar vibration performance, meaning it sounds similar whenstriking a ball.”
Shah added, “It is heavier than a willow bat, and we arelooking to optimize that.”
Moreover, bamboo bat would have a larger “sweet spot,closer to the toe of the bat”.
As of now, this idea has not received any nod from theapex cricket associations, however, it would prove beneficial for starters.
There also emerged a counter-view of making bamboo batsas Prof Mark Miodownik, an engineer and materials scientist, and director of theInstitute of Making at University College London, said: “Just because bamboo ismore plentiful than willow does not mean bats made from it would be moresustainable”.
“The whole life cycle of production, including themanufacture of the laminating resins and their disposal, needs to beconsidered. Do these resins biodegrade for instance? If not, this could be LBWfor this new material.”