Something New Is Coming

What actually changed

The MCC has announced a new edition of the Laws of Cricket taking effect on 1 October 2026, with 73 material changes. One of them amends Law 5.8, Categories of bat.

It permits laminated bats, known as Type D, in open age recreational cricket for the first time. Until now they were allowed only in junior cricket.

The part that matters is not that other timbers are allowed. It is that laminating finally gives them a job. On its own, no other wood does what English willow does on the face of a bat. Bonded behind that face, where weight matters more than the striking surface, another timber can do work that willow was never the best answer for.

The MCC's stated reason is cost rather than performance. English willow is in short supply, demand has surged, and the price of bats has climbed with it.

Whether you can use one in your competition is set by your governing body, so ask your club or association if you play at a higher grade. The top level of the game is expected to stay on single piece willow.

We have spent months on what this makes possible. Prototypes built, a couple broken, changed, and put into real matches with real players. It launches in December and there will not be many.