The History of Cricket Bats: From Crooked Sticks to Power-Hitting Machines
Cricket today is full of massive sixes, thick-edge power bats, and sweet spots that feel like magic when the ball flies into the stands. But the cricket bat hasn’t always been this beast. In fact, if you look back far enough, the bat barely looked like a bat at all. It looked more like a shepherd’s stick — because that’s literally what it was.
The history of cricket bats is basically the story of cricket itself. As the game evolved, the bat evolved with it. Every change in rules, bowling style, and playing conditions pushed the bat into a new shape. And every era of cricket had a bat that defined it. Let’s go through that journey.
The First Cricket Bats: The “Hockey Stick Era” (Early 1600s)
The earliest cricket bats didn’t look like the flat blades we know today. They looked like long, curved hockey sticks. You may ask why? Because bowlers in the early version of cricket didn’t bowl overarm or even side-arm. They rolled or skimmed the ball along the ground, almost like bowling in ancient lawn games. So batters needed a curved tool to lift or scoop the ball.
These bats were thick, heavy, and extremely curved. They were usually carved out of whatever wood was available—often willow or even fruitwood. These bats belonged to the same era when cricket was still being shaped in villages. No boundaries, no umpires as we know them, no pads, no gloves — just raw batting in open fields.
The First Major Shift: Straight Bats Arrive (Late 1700s)
The shape of the cricket bat changed forever because bowling changed. Around the 1760s–1780s, bowlers began pitching the ball instead of rolling it. The bounce changed everything. Suddenly, a curved bat was useless. You couldn’t defend a rising or bouncing ball with a shovel-shaped stick.
So bat makers created the first straight bats. These early straight bats were – long, extremely heavy, thick at the bottom, narrower at the top. They looked like a mix between a club and a modern bat.
This period also overlaps with the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1787 and the first written Laws of Cricket. The game was slowly gaining structure, and so were the bats.
Victorian Era: Birth of the Modern Bat (1800s)
This era is where the cricket bat started to resemble what we see today. By the mid-1800s, willow was officially chosen as the best material, bats became flatter and lighter, handles were made of cane instead of solid wood.
The reason bat handles were made of cane is because cane absorbs shock better and makes the handle more flexible. This meant batters could play longer innings without their hands vibrating to death from every impact.
Around this time, bat manufacturers like Gray-Nicolls and Gunn & Moore entered the scene. They were pioneers in shaping bats scientifically rather than just carving them by hand.
The Golden Age of Cricket Bats: 1900–1950
This was the era of classical batting. Players like Don Bradman used bats that were – thin by today’s standards, very light, made almost entirely of English willow, almost flat on both sides.
There was no concept of thick edges or massive sweet spots. Batters relied purely on timing. If you mistimed the ball, forget boundaries — even singles were difficult.
Bradman famously used a bat that weighed around 2 lb 2 oz. Today, that’s considered very light, but back then it was the norm. This era valued craftsmanship over power. Batting was elegant, technical, and purely skill-based.
The Power Bat Revolution: 1960s–1980s
As one-day cricket began emerging in the 1960s and 70s, bat design changed again. Manufacturers added – slightly thicker edges, slightly bigger blades, more curve in the face.
Players started experimenting with power hitting, and bat makers responded by balancing weight better. Players like Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, and Ian Botham used bats that were beginning to get bulkier, but still nothing compared to today.
The late 70s also gave us something wild – The Aluminium Bat Incident. In 1979, Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee walked out with an aluminium bat. Yes — aluminium. It caused so much chaos that MCC banned non-wooden bats overnight. That rule still stands today.
1990s–2000s: The Heavyweight Monsters Arrive
This was the era when bat science took a serious jump. Manufacturers discovered – How to compress willow better, how to thicken edges without adding weight, how to redistribute mass to the sweet spot, how to create a concave back for better power.
Suddenly, six-hitting became easier. Players like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle used bats that felt like weapons. The edges became thicker, the sweet spot got bigger, and the ball started flying like never before.
Sachin was among the first players to use a bat with thick shoulders and a low, powerful middle. Lara used a bat so heavy (around 3 lbs) that commentators joked it was a “club.” Gayle, of course, took power bats to another level.
2010s–Present: The T20 Bat Boom
T20 cricket changed everything — again. Now, bat makers design bats specifically for – Maximum power generation, thick and waterproof handles, higher sweet spots for lofted shots, lower sweet spots for subcontinental pitches.
Modern bats have – massive edges, bulging middles, enlarged sweet spots, lightweight pickup, aerodynamic curves, multi-piece handles. Willow is treated, compressed, and cured more scientifically than ever. The result? Even mishits fly for six.
Players like AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, David Warner, Chris Lynn, and Hardik Pandya have all used power bats that would make old-era batsmen faint.
How Technology Changed Bat-Making
Modern technology has completely transformed how cricket bats are made. What used to be a simple craft—shaping willow by hand—has become a mix of science, engineering, and precision. Today, every stage of the process is measured, tested, and optimized.
Willow is no longer just cut and carved; it’s moisture-controlled in special drying rooms, pressed using calibrated machines, and shaped with laser-guided tools to ensure perfect balance. Manufacturers now study airflow and weight distribution on computers before a single piece of wood is touched. Handles are engineered with multi-piece cane, rubber inserts, and vibration-reducing materials to make shots feel smoother.
Even the sweet spot is designed scientifically, using data about how players hit the ball. Nothing about modern bat-making is random anymore—every curve, every gram, every layer of pressing is part of a planned design meant to give players more power, better control, and a bat that performs consistently. In short, technology took bat-making from pure craftsmanship to a high-precision science, and the difference shows every time the ball flies into the stands.
Why Willow Still Rules as the wood-type for cricket bats
Despite all the innovation, cricket bats are still made of willow — usually English willow or Kashmir willow. The reason being it is light, strong, absorbs shock, doesn’t shatter easily, gives excellent rebound.
No synthetic material has ever matched the feel and performance of willow. Even today, despite experiments with carbon inserts and composite handles, the blade remains pure wood.
Controversies Around Cricket Bats
Mitch Marsh’s Monster Edges
In the early 2010s, several commentators complained that modern bats were too thick. They argued bowlers had no chance.
MCC Regulations
In 2017, MCC introduced strict size limits:
- Maximum edge: 40 mm
- Maximum depth: 67 mm
- Maximum width: 108 mm
This forced some manufacturers to tone down the “beast bats” used in T20 cricket.
The Balance Debate
Some argue modern bats give batters an unfair advantage, changing the balance of the game. Bowlers, especially spinners, have felt the impact of power bats in limited-overs cricket.
Oldest Cricket Bat Manufacturers
Cricket bat manufacturing has its roots deep in English village craftsmanship, and a few brands from those early days are still alive today. The oldest name in the industry is Gray-Nicolls, whose origins go back to the early 1850s. The company was formed when two separate businesses — Grays of Cambridge and Nicolls of Robertsbridge — merged, and together they became the first major manufacturer to supply bats on a commercial scale. What makes Gray-Nicolls fascinating is that they still operate out of the same Sussex village where cricket was first played, making them a living piece of cricket history.
Another historic manufacturer is Gunn & Moore (GM), founded in 1885 in Nottingham. GM began as a small workshop and grew quickly because of their high-quality willow, better balance, and early adoption of cane-handled bats. Their bats were considered premium even in the 19th century, and many early professionals preferred GM for its craftsmanship. Stuart Surridge, founded in 1867, also played a huge role in the early days. Their “SS Jumbo” bats became iconic in the 1980s, especially during the heavy-bat era dominated by players like Graham Gooch.
There’s also Kookaburra, which began in 1890 in Australia—not originally as a bat-maker, but as a producer of cricket balls and sporting goods. They entered bat manufacturing later, but their roots still place them among the oldest names connected to cricket equipment.
Biggest Cricket Bat Manufacturers Today
The modern landscape is very different—big brands dominate, and the centre of bat production has shifted massively toward India. Brands like MRF, SS Ton, SG, CEAT, Adidas, New Balance, and Puma all depend heavily on Indian master batmakers who supply bats to players worldwide, even if the branding is international.
The biggest manufacturer in terms of production scale is SS Ton (Sareen Sports Industries). They produce thousands of bats every month and supply the unbranded “professional-grade” bats used by dozens of international players. Many players you see using MRF, CEAT, or even some foreign brands are actually using SS-made bats that are later stickered with sponsor logos.
Close behind is SG (Sanspareils Greenlands), one of India’s oldest indigenous bat makers, founded in 1931. SG is the official supplier of cricket balls for domestic cricket in India and one of the most trusted bat manufacturers for Asian conditions. SG also gained massive visibility because Sachin Tendulkar used their bats during his early years.
Globally, Kookaburra and GM remain giants—not just because of their history but because of modern mass-production capabilities and worldwide distribution. Kookaburra, in particular, has a huge presence thanks to its involvement in balls and player sponsorships across Australia, South Africa, and England. Gray-Nicolls also remains one of the biggest premium manufacturers, known for hand-crafted bats rather than mass production.
In short, the oldest bat companies come mainly from England’s 19th-century cricket heartlands, but the biggest manufacturers today are largely Indian, producing high volumes while still maintaining world-class quality. The combination of historical craftsmanship and modern-scale production keeps the cricket bat industry both traditional and futuristic.
Gray-Nicolls has an estimated revenue range of US $100,000 – $5.0 million
Kookaburra Sport — According to a recent market-report summary, Kookaburra’s revenue (or at least sales value attributed to its cricket-bat and gear business) was reported as US $17.17 million in 2023.
Gunn & Moore (GM) — The same 2023 report lists GM’s revenue at US $14.55 million.
Sanspareils Greenlands (SG) — The report lists SG’s 2023 revenue at US $13.70 million.
The Future of Cricket Bats
What comes next? Maybe the future bats would have custom bat cores, Even lighter pickup, smart sensors in handles, temperature-resistant willow, composite materials (if laws ever change), and AI-designed bat shapes.
We are surely heading toward an era where bats will be even more personalized than they are today. We cannot fully imagine what might change in the how bats look, feel, experience.
Final Thoughts
From shepherd boys swinging curved wooden sticks to modern pros using power-packed blades worth ₹30,000+, the cricket bat has had a remarkable journey. Its evolution mirrors cricket’s evolution – When bowling changed, bats changed ; when formats changed, bats changed ; when players asked for more power, bats delivered it. Today’s bat is a blend of art, science, history, and innovation. And its story is still unfolding
