GB2289630A

GB2289630A - Cricket bat

Info

Publication number: GB2289630A
Application number: GB9510326A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Len Martin Richardson
Original assignee: CARRYBIND Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CARRYBIND Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1994-05-24
Filing date: 1995-05-23
Publication date: 1995-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-23
Also published as: GB9510326D0; GB2289630B; AUPM586394A0

Abstract

A cricket bat (11) has a handle (12) and a ball striking surface (14). The longitudinal axis of the plane of the striking surface (14) is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle (12). The angle is such that, when the handle (12) of the bat (11) is placed vertically, the striking surface (14) is inclined at an angle whereby the striking surface (14) faces downwardly. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED CRICKET BAT The present invention relates to bats for use in bat and ball type games and, in particular, to cricket bats.

However, the invention has general applicability to all types of bats that normally require two handed operation to stroke a ball.

Conventional cricket bats, for example, are constructed such that the plane of the ball impacting surface or blade has the same longitudinal axis as the bat handle. That is, the blade and handle of the bat are in the same straight line. This design of cricket bats has remained largely unchanged over the years.

The present inventor, however, has invented a new cricket bat which should improve the batting performance of batsmen and the like.

In cricket, batsmen often play short pitched rising fast balls on their back foot in a defensive posture. The design of the conventional cricket bat is such that if the batsmen is surprised by the pace or lift of the short pitched ball, the batsmen will often play an awkward defensive shot that may cause the ball to be lifted to a close catching position.

In the most accomplished of batsmen, errors of this kind usually stem from nothing more than the conventional design of the bat which does not provide a correction when the batsmen plays an awkward upwardly defensive stroke. On many occasions such strokes are simply for the purpose of evading body contact with the ball and the batsmen finds that, in these cases, his or her hands have lost control over the angle of the blade which impacts the ball. The hands are then usually no longer positioned over the top of the blade of the bat but are trailing the blade which is facing generally upwardly.

It is one of the objects of the cricket bat of the present invention to avoid inadvertently hitting the ball upwardly whilst defending against a short pitched rising fast ball.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a bat for use in bat and ball type games, the bat including a handle portion and a ball striking surface, wherein the longitudinal axis of the plane of the striking surface is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle portion, the said angle being predetermined so that, when the handle of the bat is placed vertically, the striking surface of the bat is inclined at an angle whereby the striking surface faces downwardly.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a cricket bat wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle of the bat is inclined towards the rear of the bat at an angle of greater than 1800 to the axis of the plane of the striking surface of the bat.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cricket bat according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the cricket bat of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a rear view of the cricket bat of Figs. 1 and 2.

The cricket bat 11 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 has a handle 12 and a blade 13. The blade 13 has a ball striking surface 14 and a rear surface 15. The blade 13 has a neck 16 which joins the handle 12. The neck 16 and blade 13 are in the same plane.

The cricket bat 11 may be made of any suitable material such as a wood, metal, synthetic polymer or combination of these.

The longitudinal axis of the plane of the ball striking surface 14 is inclined at an angle of XO as shown relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle 12. If the bat 11 shown in Fig. 2 were positioned so that the handle 12 was placed vertically, the striking surface 14 would then be inclined at an angle so that it faces downwardly. Preferably the angle X is between 20 and 200 and particularly between 50 and 100.

The angle between the handle 12 and the striking surface 14 is greater than 180 when following an arc in a clockwise direction for the bat as shown in Fig. 2. The precise angle depends on the requirements of the batsmen for different playing conditions, such as slow or fast wickets.

When a batsman grips the handle in a normal batting stance, the batsman will find that the blade 13 slopes backwards further than with conventional bats.

Among the advantages of the bat of the present invention are that the ball will tend to stay closer to the ground when the batsmen is playing front foot or back foot strokes. This is because the striking surface of the bat will be facing downwardly as the ball strikes the bat. Short pitched fast balls which had previously been treateddefensively for fear of being deflected upwardly can, with the bat of the present invention, now be played aggressively with less chance of providing a catch to fieldsmen.

Another advantage is based on the fact that a batsman's top hand on the handle is his guiding hand, and the bottom hand is the batsman's power hand. Because of the angle of the blade when the ball is struck, the top hand will now be more over the ball, and therefore, there will be less bottom hand in the shot.

Also, as a batsman plays an attacking shot, the bat will go back further (because of the angle in the bat) and so the player will tend to put more power into his shot.

Furthermore, as the bat is taken back during backlift, the weight of the bat and the angle of the blade to the handle will create a tendency for the bat to come through in a vertical plain. Hence the full face of the blade will be offered as the ball strikes the bat.

Various modifications may be made to the details of design and construction of the cricket bat of the invention without departing from the scope or ambit of the invention.

Claims

1. A bat for use in bat and ball type games, the bat including a handle portion and a ball striking surface, wherein the longitudinal axis of the plane of the striking surface is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle portion, the said angle being predetermined so that, when the handle of the bat is placed vertically, the striking surface of the bat is inclined at an angle whereby the striking surface faces downwardly.

2. The bat of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle of the bat is inclined towards the rear of the bat at an angle of greater than 1800 to the axis of the plane of the striking surface of the bat.

3. The bat of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the angle is between 1820 and 2000.

4. The bat of claim 3 wherein the angle is between 1850 and 1900.

5. The bat of claim 4 wherein the angle is 1870.