02/01/2014
Countryside news. Every bat used in first-class cricket begins its life as a willow tree in a wet English field. Sarah Swadling discovers how the growing affects the game.
Every bat used in first class cricket begins its life as a willow tree in a wet English field. Cricket Bat Willows are planted between December and March, and Sarah Swadling visits the largest supplier in the world, JS Wright in Essex, which will plant 20,000 new trees this season. They're planning to increase plantings to keep up with burgeoning demand in India and Pakistan. Sarah finds out how the way the willow is grown affects the playing quality of the bat, at manufacturers Gunn and Moore in Nottingham.
Produced and presented by Sarah Swadling.
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- Thu 2 Jan 201405:45BBC Radio 4
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