This week, as players voiced their frustrations and analysts scrutinized the frequent practice of swapping out soft, misaligned Dukes balls, a quieter, yet significant change unfolded at Lord’s. Over the span of five days, four bats were replaced, not necessarily due to fractures or splintered edges, but rather the players’ preference for different grips and feels.
Former England captain Mike Gatting, who observed from the stands, reminisced about his days when he would use just three bats a year. Today, players like Steve Smith carry up to eighteen meticulously numbered and prepared bats, reflecting a stark contrast to the harmonious connection cricket once had with nature. The demand seems insatiable now.
However, each bat comes with an ecological price tag, originating from a tree that may take up to 20 years to mature. A single tree produces about 40 bat clefts. Traditional willow farming practices are under pressure due to the surging demand fueled by the T20 boom, which has escalated to unprecedented levels.
Jeremy Ruggles, director of JS Wright & Sons—a family-owned business that has cultivated English willows (Salix alba caerulea) for over a century—has a front-row seat to this escalating situation. “The demand for bats has increased yearly since the IPL started,” Ruggles shares. “It’s far beyond what we anticipated two decades ago.” He himself was at Lord’s, observing cricket’s subtle dynamics.
Willow, once abundant along rivers and floodplains, has now become a commodity. To maintain a sustainable balance of three to four trees planted for every tree harvested, JS Wright planted 44,000 trees last year while felling around 11,000. This scale is essential, as it typically takes 18 years for a tree to mature enough to produce cricket bats. The rapid rise of T20 cricket in 2008 means today’s ready trees should have been planted back then.
Ruggles points out, “The major issue is we didn’t foresee this demand surge about 15 years ago. If we had planted 44,000 trees back in 2008, we would be in a much better position today. This lag directly impacts prices, with premium bats costing as much as $1,500 USD due to the shortage of mature English willow.”
In the UK, one-for-one replanting is the legal standard. However, Ruggles warns that this approach is inadequate. “One out of every three trees will not survive due to factors like animals, drought, and diseases such as honey fungus. Furthermore, not all organizations invest in robust, nursery-grown trees that are 14 feet tall and aged three or four years at planting, unlike JS Wright and other established firms.”
Ruggles emphasizes the importance of quality tree planting: “When we harvest a tree, we replant with one of superior quality. Unfortunately, many people plant slender, crooked trees that won’t yield quality bats in the future. You may think you’re contributing, but if you’re not investing in quality nursery beds, it’s not enough. The Forestry Commission lacks the resources for thorough inspections.”
As more players enter the willow industry attracted by rising prices, many are focused solely on short-term profits. “It’s an industry now—the English cricket bat willow market,” Ruggles notes. “Everyone should be future-minded, considering the sport’s longevity, but many are just chasing quick financial returns. We’ve been in this business for 135 years, and we aspire to continue for another 135 years.”
Serious challenges loom over the sector. Climate change has altered growth patterns, leading to milder winters in England. The growing season now stretches from March to November, allowing trees to mature faster. Some willows are now ready in 12 to 15 years, whereas it once took more than 20. This accelerated growth impacts the wood’s quality, resulting in wider grains.”
Wider-grained bats can perform adequately, but they require longer to knock in. Players prefer narrow-grain bats from older, slower-grown trees as they are nearly match-ready. “I’ve advocated for wide grain for years, but it faces significant resistance. Players favor the narrow grain for its aesthetic appeal, despite the fact that they break more easily and result in higher turnover and lower durability.”
Professional turnover subtly affects prices. “Pros often treat their bats as disposable due to generous contracts providing them with free bats,” Ruggles explains. “They may not realize that the public pays more for these bats to offset these costs.” During the latest IPL, around 60 players from renowned Indian manufacturers received multiple free bats, highlighting the disparity between professional and amateur cricket.”
Ruggles, along with manufacturers like Kookaburra, attended the MCC’s recent World Cricket Connects conference to discuss these pressing issues, including the so-called “bat emergency.” One proposed solution is laminated bats, which consist of multiple wood pieces rather than a single cleft. Currently allowed in junior cricket, laminated bats could retail for as low as USD 65, offering a more affordable option.”
“You might have English willow on the front and Kashmir willow on the back,” Ruggles explains. “This method utilizes leftover pieces that can’t make full bats, making the game more accessible and alleviating pressure on English willow growers. It also minimizes waste and prompts debate about cricket’s romantic tradition.”
JS Wright & Sons also aims to reduce waste on their farms. They burn smaller, disease-prone tops and branches on-site, even when most wood is repurposed for clefts, biofuel, or other products. “It’s not the best ecological practice, but leaving chipped branches can lead to disease spread,” Ruggles admits.
Cricket bats encapsulate the complexities of modern sport, balancing history and innovation, global demand, and the overlooked environmental costs of each swing. Time is both an ally and an adversary in this intricate dance of wood and willow; while trees take years to grow, the demand for bats surges at an alarming rate. Those cultivating these trees face the challenge of adapting to the increasing appetite for cricket bats.
As T20 cricket continues to expand and more young players aspire to wield their own narrow-grain bats, the urgency to plant more, use resources wisely, and appreciate the willow’s offerings before the bat emergency escalates beyond repair grows ever stronger.
