Is the cricket bat industry on a precipice? Incidentally, there’s nothing in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Law 6 which governs ‘The Bat’ that says cricket bats have to be made from willow – just wood. Other not so subtle experiments like Dennis Lillee’s ill-fated (and subsequently banned) ComBat made from aluminium went the way of the dodo. Why? This particular willow is both tough and has enough ‘give’ and the species flourishes in England where the trees appreciate the temperate climate and rainfall.ĭown the years and behind the scenes, experiments have been done with other types of wood like poplar but none matches the strength and flexibility of English willow. The deciduous broadleaf tree, salix alba or white willow, has been the preferred choice of cricket bat manufacturers for hundreds of years. You might want to snap up some kryptonite or hen’s teeth at the same time, if you get my drift. If you have reams of banknotes down the back of the sofa and investing in gold bullion or property isn’t your thing, get your hands on a plot of land with some willow trees. Wright, are now advertising ‘Trees Wanted’ on their website.Ĭall it coincidence or indicative of a wider problem concerning dwindling reserves of English willow? The world’s largest supplier of English willow for cricket bats, J.S.