It might look more like a paddle used in the opening credits of Hawaii Five-O but the Mongoose cricket bat is being hailed as “the single most radical change to cricket equipment since 1771.”
The bat has been designed specifically for the frenetic, run-accumulating demands of Twenty20, the shortened form of the game that has brought bigger crowds and revenue streams flooding into cricket. The Mongoose, with its shorter, more rigid blade and longer, more flexible handle, promises the batsman 20 per cent more power and 15 per cent more bat speed. By incorporating the splice into the new, lengthened handle, the makers of The Mongoose also insist they have done away with the dead spot that exists in conventional cricket bats.
The bat was due to make its debut today in the hands of Derbyshire’s former Australian international Stuart Law (pictured below), but the weather might have something to say about that. “The Mongoose has the potential to revolutionise cricket," enthuses Law. “Without changing your technique, the bat allows you to hit the ball harder and further. Its power is phenomenal. It’s a weapon of mass destruction.” If he’s right, it might make you think twice about parking your car in the vicinity of a first class cricket ground.
The Mongoose costs from £159 and is available from www.mongoosecricket.com
