“Currently, Law 5.3.2 states that the blade of the bat must consist solely of wood, so for bamboo (which is a grass) to be considered as a realistic alternative to willow would require a law change.”

Which is the Marylebone Cricket Club’s take on the suggestion that bamboo could make a great axe. As keepers of the rules of cricket, they have perfected the art of saying ‘no’ without actually saying it…