Are the bats just too big?

[western royboy]

There is a lot of debate surrounding the paradigm shift in scoring rates and totals in the game across all forms. Many factors at play, however as a bit of a bat fiend, it's fairly obvious to me where one of the major changes can be curtailed and that's by mandating a maximum width of a bat edge and depth. 10 years ago the standard was 20mm, now they are up to 45mm. By legislating a max - I propose 30mm and possibly a maximum depth you give the bowlers some hope of having edges caught instead of sailing for six and reduce bats back to being bats as opposed to some of the baseball bat type clubs that are currently in use.

This will affect players across all levels, and it needs to. Left unchecked an umpire will be killed in some form of the game and not necessarily at a high level.

It's not a popular view, but I am convinced it needs to be looked at. Discuss.

 

[copthat]

Definitely needs to be a limit brought in. Otherwise technology is just going to continue to advance and we'll have guys walking out with chunks of wood that are almost literally as thick as they are wide.

ODI cricket (along with T20) is now undoubtedly a batsman's game. When a bowler takes 0-65 off 10 and it's regarded as having kept things quiet then you know the game is skewed.

They are ruining good talent at a younger level as well.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

There is a lot of debate surrounding the paradigm shift in scoring rates and totals in the game across all forms. Many factors at play, however as a bit of a bat fiend, it's fairly obvious to me where one of the major changes can be curtailed and that's by mandating a maximum width of a bat edge and depth. 10 years ago the standard was 20mm, now they are up to 45mm. By legislating a max - I propose 30mm and possibly a maximum depth you give the bowlers some hope of having edges caught instead of sailing for six and reduce bats back to being bats as opposed to some of the baseball bat type clubs that are currently in use.

This will affect players across all levels, and it needs to. Left unchecked an umpire will be killed in some form of the game and not necessarily at a high level.

It's not a popular view, but I am convinced it needs to be looked at. Discuss.

Yes, the width of the bat edge absolutely needs to be limited. It is one of my pet peeves when mishits go for sixes even on decent sized grounds. It makes a farce of cricket.

 

[Power Raid]

bring back the aluminium bat!

 

[Aussie_boy]

For sure needs to be looked at. I think that the flat pitches are a bigger problem though, well this summer they were anyway. If the ball is swinging then batsmen will be found out but unfortunately that is rare these days.

 

[Bingle_21]

Restrict bat width and let them rub the ball on the ground to rough it up with the white balls in limited overs I think.

 

[james brayshaw]

Restrict bat width and let them rub the ball on the ground to rough it up with the white balls in limited overs I think.

No that's just as bad as not limiting bat width, let the ball rough up naturally.

 

[Pera]

Dave Warners bat is an utter farce.

Restrictions must be set as soon as possible.

 

[Bingle_21]

No that's just as bad as not limiting bat width, let the ball rough up naturally.

I would usually say the same thing. But using a new ball at each end means that in 95% of ODIs the ball wont deteriorate enough to be any use to the bowler and will just stay hard for the batsman to mis-hit for 6.

Also (might be wrong) but think it used to be permitted in test cricket. Not using any foreign surfaces (bottle tops, sandpaper, etc.) the ball could just be rubbed in the dirt to assist spinners etc.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Bats are one thing, but I've never understood bringing in the boundaries. Gary Sobers and Doug Walters used to bat with sticks in comparison to the bats these days, and they used to hit the ball out of the ground. As another poster said, it annoys the hell of me when a mistimed shot drops over the line for 6, it should never happen but it does repeatedly. All us genuine cricket fans ask for is a legitimate balance between bat and ball, and it isn't happening.

 

[Kram]

I'm all for putting in restrictions.

 

[jackess]

To even it up Bowlers should be able to tamper with the ball.

Not a serious suggestion btw.

Bigger bats allows them to hit more boundaries which is what brings in bigger crowds. They might put a limit but it will be pretty generous.

 

[Costanza_]

I have a solution..

 

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

Yeah of course they're too flipping big. I want to go back to the days when 280 was a hard total to chase.

 

[Partridge]

Bats are one thing, but I've never understood bringing in the boundaries. Gary Sobers and Doug Walters used to bat with sticks in comparison to the bats these days, and they used to hit the ball out of the ground. As another poster said, it annoys the hell of me when a mistimed shot drops over the line for 6, it should never happen but it does repeatedly. All us genuine cricket fans ask for is a legitimate balance between bat and ball, and it isn't happening.

That's exactly it right there. That's all we ask.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Dave Warners mouth is an utter farce.

Restrictions must be set as soon as possible.

EFA

 

[Damon_3388]

Allow any bat width/thickness, but only allow them to be made from Kashmir Willow

 

[fishardansin]

It's not just the bats. It's the very good pitches, 2 new balls and increased skill in batsmen due to more professionalism and 20Twenty cricket. The secret is to somehow make pitches that are very flat so batsmen can trust the surface but there is also grip for spinners and seamers and a little bit of swing out. That would mean really good pitches with a a fair bit of juice in them. I'm thinking day one Gabba pitch. There should also be a measurement of moisture in the pitch at the start of play and the curator should water the pitch in the innings break to match that for second innings while he rolls it. That way both teams have very similar conditions.

 

[western royboy]

It's not just the bats. It's the very good pitches, 2 new balls and increased skill in batsmen due to more professionalism and 20Twenty cricket. The secret is to somehow make pitches that are very flat so batsmen can trust the surface but there is also grip for spinners and seamers and a little bit of swing out. That would mean really good pitches with a a fair bit of juice in them. I'm thinking day one Gabba pitch. There should also be a measurement of moisture in the pitch at the start of play and the curator should water the pitch in the innings break to match that for second innings while he rolls it. That way both teams have very similar conditions.

Watering the pitch in the middle of innings is not an option and I'm being nice.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

the curator should water the pitch in the innings break to match that for second innings while he rolls it. That way both teams have very similar conditions.

And allow the pitch less than 10 minutes to dry? I don't think so.

 

[bombersfan4000]

Bats are one thing, but I've never understood bringing in the boundaries. Gary Sobers and Doug Walters used to bat with sticks in comparison to the bats these days, and they used to hit the ball out of the ground. As another poster said, it annoys the hell of me when a mistimed shot drops over the line for 6, it should never happen but it does repeatedly. All us genuine cricket fans ask for is a legitimate balance between bat and ball, and it isn't happening.

bringing in the boundaries is due to OH&S thats it

 

[bombersfan4000]

Allow any bat width/thickness, but only allow them to be made from Kashmir Willow

it wouldn't work, the bats break now days with the English willow

 

[bombersfan4000]

I have a solution..

i dont know why that practice or method isnt coached in top class cricket now days or batsmen practice it them self. as it teaches hand eye coordination & reflexes.
bradman has been often quoted that he would often do that, hit a golf ball with a cricket stump against a fence or wall, to help his batting.
we saw how it helped him

 

[Taylor]

The TV wants games to have lots of boundaries and go full length.

They even liven it up in the 36th over by bring the field in.

Two balls a game, fielding restrictions and pitches as flat as a road help the batsmen have confidence to throw the bat at the ball. They only need to clear the infield most of the time and it's 4.

 

[Zach Package]

Bats are one thing, but I've never understood bringing in the boundaries. Gary Sobers and Doug Walters used to bat with sticks in comparison to the bats these days, and they used to hit the ball out of the ground. As another poster said, it annoys the hell of me when a mistimed shot drops over the line for 6, it should never happen but it does repeatedly. All us genuine cricket fans ask for is a legitimate balance between bat and ball, and it isn't happening.

Apparently the OH&S mandate is a 3 metre gap between the permanent fencing and the rope. still doesn't explain the stars games at the G where the square boundaries are in so far you could almost run another game in the outer