Laws of Cricket changed to allow previously ‘illegal’ bats

The MCC’s Laws of Cricket will be changed to permit bats made from more than one piece of wood to be used in the recreational game in a move to combat rising prices and more sustainable manufacturing processes.

While “laminated” or “Type D” bats have previously been allowed in junior cricket, regulations have insisted that bats used in open-age recreational cricket must be made from a single piece of willow.

However amid a shortage of English willow and a surge in prices driven by increased demand, the MCC has moved to change its laws from 1 October 2026 to allow bats made from up to three wooden pieces to be used in open-age cricket. Bat manufacturers will also be allowed to use woods other than willow behind the face of the bat as part of the law change.

"We felt if anything can be done for the lower levels of the game that will help make the sport more affordable without changing the dynamics of the game then it's a sensible move to make," Fraser Stewart, the MCC’s laws manager, told the BBC after changes that came after significant testing.

“There's not really enough willow to go round. So it's about being as sustainable as we can, too. Let's try and use as much of the tree as possible. Let's try and be as sustainable as we can.

"Manufacturers have been very supportive of this. They don't want to be charging huge amounts for the bats."

The change comes after calls from leading bat-makers to allow lamination, with Gray-Nicolls among those to strongly argue it would combat wood wastage.

The manufacturer is generally able to produce about 40 bats from a single willow tree, with each taking 15-20 years to reach maturation. Lamination would increase the number of bats able to be produced from one trunk.

“Lamination is great, and demystifying what it is and does is important,” Gray-Nicolls bat-maker Alex Hohenkerk told The Independent last week. “There is a lot of stuff said about cricket bats that doesn’t really ring true. Saying a laminate bat is better because it is three bits of wood put together? Actually, the more important thing is that you are using up three bits of wood that you otherwise wouldn’t have used.

“There is a huge demand for everybody to have a bat. The village kit bag with 10 bats in it doesn’t really exist any more. Everyone wants their own thing, so you’ve got to try and find a way to make that thing.”

Other changes to the Laws of Cricket include play continuing if a wicket is taken in the final over of the day of a multi-day fixture until the completion of that set of six balls, and umpires being able to decide a ball is finally settled when it is stationary or in a fielder’s hands under Law 20.1.1.1. Previously, a ball could only be declared dead once in the wicketkeeper or bowler’s hands.

A wicketkeeper will also no longer be at risk of a no-ball if their gloves stray in front of the line of the stumps prior to the bowler’s release, although will still be unable to cross that line once the ball has been delivered.

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