Cricket bat
A cricket bat is used by the batsmen in the sport of cricket.
This specialised bat is shaped something like a paddle, consisting of a padded handle similar to - but sturdier than - that of a tennis racquet, which is usually cylindrical in shape. This widens into the blade of the bat, a wider wooden block flat on one side and with a V-shaped ridge on the other to provide greater strength. The flat side (the front of the bat) is used to hit the ball. The point at which the handle widens into the blade is known as the shoulder of the bat, and the bottom of the blade is known as the toe of the bat.
The bat is traditionally made from willow wood, specifically from the Cricket-bat Willow (Salix alba var. caerulea), treated with linseed oil. This wood is used as it is very tough and shock-resistant, not being significantly dented nor splintering on the impact of a cricket ball at high speed, while also being light in weight. It incorporates a wooden spring design where the handle meets the blade. The rules of the game limit the allowable size for a bat as not more than 38 in (965 mm) long and the blade may not be more than 4.25 in (108 mm) wide. Bats typically weigh from 2 lb 8 oz to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg) though there is no standard. The handle is usually covered with a rubber or cloth sleeve to enhance grip and the face of the bat may have a protective film.
Modern cricket bats are usually machine made, however a few specialists still make hand-made bats. These people delight in the archaic name of podshavers.
History
Bats were not always this shape. Before the 18th century bats tended to be shaped similarly to how field-hockey sticks are currently shaped. This may well have been a legacy of the games reputed origins. Although the first forms of cricket are lost in the mists of time, it is quite likely that the game was first played using shepherds' crooks (hence its name).
Until the rules of cricket were formalised in the 19th century, the game usually had lower stumps, the ball was bowled underarm (whereas now it is always bowled overarm), and batsmen did not wear protective pads, as they do nowadays. As the game changed, so it was found that a differently shaped bat was better. The bat which is generally recognised as the oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated 1729 and is on display in the Sandham Room at the Oval in London.