Cricket’s “Bat Crisis”? B3’s Take on the Headlines

Talk of a so-called “bat crisis” has hit the headlines. The Daily Mail recently claimed that cricket is running out of bats, pointing to climate change, the IPL, and rising costs as major factors. At B3 Cricket, we’ve read the piece and want to share our perspective, and, more importantly, reassure our customers that B3 is not affected by this so-called emergency.

Supply Chains and Willow Shortages

The article highlights growing concerns that the number of high-quality willow trees isn’t keeping pace with global demand.

B3 Reaction:

This is a genuine issue for some bat makers, but not for us. We’re proud to be long-term customers of JS Wrights, the world’s most reputable supplier of English willow. Thanks to this relationship, we have secure stocks of the very best willow available. The real pressure falls on brands without reliable supply which means they’re often forced to compromise.

Sticker Merchants and White-Label Bats

Many brands don’t actually make their own bats. Instead, they rely on large Asian manufacturers to send them blanks, onto which they simply add their logo, hence the term “sticker merchants.”
A decade or so ago, these factories supplied decent quality English willow to third parties, however, since the IPL boom and massive growth in the Asian market - their own brands have taken off. Whilst some still make white-label bats, they now keep the best willow for their own bats. That leaves the sticker merchants, having to make do with the lower grades, or in some cases, with timber that isn’t even English willow!

The Rise of Fakes

In a recent investigation by Business Insider, they outed the growing concerns around counterfeit bats. Investigations show that some bats sold as English willow are actually made from cheaper alternatives like Kashmiri or European willow.

For us, the key word is transparency. There’s nothing wrong with Kashmiri or European willow bats if they’re honestly marketed and priced accordingly. The problem is when unscrupulous operators sell them as English willow. At B3, what you see is what you get: when we say English willow, it’s the real thing.

Non-English Willow Options

The author reports that there are approximately two million Kashmir and 100,000 European willow clefts produced annually, however, it’s widely accepted that these options don’t make bats as good as English willow.

Attempts to grow willow abroad have also failed: trees in Australia grew too fast and became brittle, while New Zealand’s climate left them too wind-damaged to mature properly.

B3 Reaction:

While alternative willow does have a place in the market, it’s widely accepted and repeatedly proven that the best cricket bats come from well-grown English willow. Nothing else quite matches its performance, power, and feel.

Willow Prices Have Trebled Since Covid

The Daily Mail notes that willow prices have trebled since Covid, especially driven by demand from Asia. This has pushed the cost of bats higher, with some top-end models now retailing for close to £1,000.

The author considers the impact could re-ignite the accusations that cricket is an elitist sport.

B3 Reaction:

It’s true that costs have risen, but it’s not just the price of willow. Energy, skilled labour, materials, and transport have all increased too. At B3, we’ve worked hard to keep our prices fair. Our English willow bats still start from £250; each one lovingly made in our Nottingham factory.

This year, we also introduced our junior Kashmir willow range at £89, ensuring that youngsters starting out can still access a quality bat at an affordable price.

We’re passionate about grassroots cricket - it’s the lifeblood of the game. That’s why we launched the B3 Coaching Hub, offering free coaching videos to help young players develop their skills and enjoy the game even more.

Planting for the Future

English willow takes 12-20 years to mature, and the industry didn’t fully anticipate the post IPL surge in demand. The Mail quotes JS Wright & Sons, who produce around 75% of the world’s English willow bats.

They now plant more than 40,000 trees each year, replacing every one they cut with several more. Unfortunately, not all growers are as forward thinking in terms of replanting, and this is exacerbating the shortage issues.

B3 Reaction:

I’ve seen Wrights’ replanting programme first-hand. They’re planting more than ever, and crucially they use the very best saplings from their own nurseries. With more than 200 willow variations out there, using the proven strain that makes the best bats is a major advantage.

The Short-Format Effect

Franchise cricket and white-ball formats have added extra strain. Players now hit harder, train more often, and face tougher white and pink balls. These factors mean bats break more frequently and pros get through far more of them. Big sponsorship deals also push brands to recover their costs with higher prices to the public.

B3 Reaction:

As a small, family-run business, we can’t compete with the international brands that pay huge sums just to have their stickers on players’ bats. Over the years, we’ve supported professionals on their way up, but once the big-money sponsorship deals arrive, we usually lose them, unfortunately, that’s the reality.

Our focus is different: amateur, club, and school players are our real priority. We do support some county and state pros, but only with bats and kit. By staying lean, we can keep making bats here in the UK and keep prices realistic.

And just because you don’t always see the B3 logo in the spotlight doesn’t mean our bats are any less. In fact, we’ve made bats for some of the very best players in the world - they just had to put their sponsor’s sticker on instead. Sadly, that’s how the industry works.

The key difference is this: with B3, every customer gets the same treatment as a pro. You choose your bat, we select the very best willow, and we craft it to your exact specifications. The bat you receive is made to the same elite standard as one we’d make for a Test superstar. Unlike the big global brands, where shop replicas are rarely comparable to the pros’ bats, every B3 bat is the real thing.

Alternatives Explored

The article also touched on experiments with bamboo, laminated bats, and even metal. None have delivered the feel or performance cricketers expect. Laminates raise integrity concerns, while non-wood options still carry the shadow of Dennis Lillee’s infamous aluminium bat in 1979.

B3 Reaction:

A few years ago, we worked with a major global sports brand to test alternative timbers from around the world, including South America. We made the bats, tested them thoroughly in our Nottingham nets, and none came close to English willow for weight, performance, durability, or feel. The project was abandoned.

At B3, we remain open to innovation. We pioneered CNC technology for precision shaping, and we’re always refining our pressing and finishing methods. While we remain committed to transparency and open-minded research, no alternative material has yet come close to matching the performance and quality of genuine English willow.

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