The Artistry and Science of Bat Repair: A batsman is incomplete without his/her bat. It is like a sword of a warrior for the batsman. The cricket field turns into a battlefield and the bat is the only tool to dominate and fight back from the opposition’s attack. That is the reason why cricket bats are so near and dear to a cricketer,
Types Of Bat Profiles
3 types of bat profiles are designed and used majorly in cricket. The types of profiles are -High Rise, Mid Rise, and Low Rise. Mostly, international cricketers use “Duckbill” profile bats. The sweet spot of the Duckbill bats is similar to that of “Mid Rise” bats and the edges are thicker at the bottom to provide a stable balance to the batsman for hitting the ball. The handles of the bats are joined externally later after the bat is crafted so that the bat absorbs the shock of hitting the ball and the batsman can easily use it for playing any kind of deliveries.
Let’s discuss some common bat damages that a batsman faces :
- Handle loosened/Broke
- Broken Toe
- Crack on the Edges
- Damage in the middle/upper spot of the bat
Techniques of bat repair and the science behind
The first step involves identifying the type of damage is identified in a bat. After identifying the type of damage, repair methods are applied.
For a loosened/broken handle
The entire handle is taken out from the bat. The dimensions of the bat are then measured and a handle of those dimensions is crafted and manufactured. Handles are made with 3 or 4 rubber cushioning placed between them. This helps in absorbing the shock of hitting the ball and provides a good grip to the batsman. The end of the handle is then glued to the body of the bat and joined firmly.
After this process, the handle is wrapped around by a thread which keeps those rubber cushions intact and makes the grip more firm and stable. At the end, the grip is applied on the bat as demanded according to the batsman.
Broken Toe
The toe of the bat can be called the most vulnerable and takes higher hittings than the whole body. A Batsman regularly taps the bat on the ground while taking his stance and even though the batsman wants to hit the ball by the middle of the bat but toes are highly open to the risks of getting damaged. To fix it, the damaged part is removed or nailed to make a place for applying the glue.
Once the glue is applied inside the space of the damaged area, the bat is taped with tape or hot glue. Later, when the bat is all dried up, the toe is shaped or crafted by the cylindrical cutter/shaper.
Edge’s Cracks
This is the part of the bat where the bowler always wants the batsman to hit the ball, as mostly bowlers try to swing or spin the ball deceiving the directed path of the ball and the batsman edges it to the slip behind/beside resulting in giving out their wicket. The edges usually crack when the ball unfortunately hits very hard directly on it. The deteriorated part is hammered and removed entirely from the bat, glues are applied. Willow is crafted after taking the measurements and placed to join firmly with the bat.
Further, taping is used on the vulnerable part and left for some hours to let it settle and join as it was earlier. Then the bands are wrapped around the bat if the batsman wants it or just an English tape is applied.
Broken sweet spot/upper part
This damage is bound to happen unfortunately for every cricket bat as they have a very short life span. The reason behind it is, that this part is where a batsman wants to hit the ball. A hard leather ball is delivered toward the batsman and hit/defended by this bat two or three thousand times before it gets broken. There’s a limit to bat till that can bear those hits and the same goes for the ball as well, they are even more vulnerable and are used once only in a match.
For fixing the sweet spot of the cricket bat, either the bat is cut in half or the entire sweet spot from the front of the bat excluding the slope is removed. The dimensions of the removed are measured and a willow similar to that of the bat is created. Later the glue is applied and the newly created part is placed upon it.
The bat is left for a couple of days to settle down and join firmly. Then the tape or band is applied for the protection of the repaired part as it’s still vulnerable for some days. After some net sessions or knocking, the bat gets ready to use and hits the balls out of the park.
There are different types of cutters and shapers used in making and repairing the bat. The skilled artisans are only capable of repairing the bats as they know exactly where to use what and in what quantity as discussed above. Different kinds of batsmen desire their ideal kind of bat from these craftsmen and they deliver it to them efficiently.
They have to take care of the bat Profile, Weight Of The Bat, Personal Alterations demanded by The Batsman, and Provide the Best Willow Bat. Hats Off ! to those craftsmen who create a beautiful bat just out of wood, which only has a short span of life. That’s truly an art.
