In this edition of “How’s That” we will be looking at another important component of the game, the bat. The following are the specifications that a cricket bat must comply with.
The bat
The bat consists of two parts, a handle and a blade.
The handle
The handle is to be made principally of cane and/or wood. The part of the handle that is wholly outside the blade is defined to be the upper portion of the handle. It is a straight shaft for holding the bat. The upper portion of the handle may be covered with a grip.
The blade
The blade comprises the whole of the bat apart from the handle. The blade shall consist solely of wood. All bats may have commercial identifications on the blade, the size of which must comply with the relevant specification.
Protection and repair
Solely for the purpose of either protection from surface damage to the face, sides and shoulders
of the blade or repair to the blade after surface damage, material that is not rigid, either at the time of its application to the blade or subsequently, may be placed on these surfaces.
-for repair of the blade after damage other than surface damage
– solid material may be inserted into the blade.
– the only material permitted for any insertion is wood with minimal essential adhesives.
– to prevent damage to the toe, material may be placed on that part of the blade but shall not extend over any part of the face, back, or sides of the blade.
Damage to the ball
For any part of the bat, covered or uncovered, the hardness of the constituent materials and the surface texture thereof shall not be such that either or both could cause unacceptable damage to the ball. Any material placed on any part of the bat, for whatever purpose, shall similarly not be such that it could cause unacceptable damage to the ball. For the purpose of this Law, unacceptable damage is any change that is greater than normal wear and tear caused by the ball striking the uncovered wooden surface of the blade.
Contact with the ball
In these Laws, reference to the bat shall imply that the bat is held in the batsman’s hand or a glove worn on his/her hand unless stated otherwise. In addition contact with the ball and any of the following :
-the bat itself
-the batsman’s hand holding the bat
– any part of a glove worn on the batsman’s hand holding the bat
– any additional materials permitted under
shall be regarded as the ball striking or touching the bat or being struck by the bat.
Bat size limits
The overall length of the bat, when the lower portion of the handle is inserted, shall not be more than 38 in/96.52 cm. The blade of the bat shall not exceed the following dimensions:
Width: 4.25in / 10.8 cm
Depth: 2.64in / 6.7 cm
Edges: 1.56in / 4.0cm.
Furthermore, it should also be able to pass through a bat gauge as depicted in the image below.
Source: Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring (Law 5)
Interested in learning more about the Laws of Cricket? Please feel free to join the North Zone Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association of Trinidad and Tobago. Training classes utilize a combination of PowerPoint presentations, verbal discussions, quizzes, and on-field demonstrations when the laws of cricket are being taught. Training classes are free of charge and persons male or female and of any age are welcome to join. For more information please contact (868)464-8005.
