James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1896

. T A M E S L I L L Y W 1 U T E , L ' K O W D & C o . C R I C K E T B A T S . T HE HAT is, by universal cousent, the implement of greatest interest to Cricketers, and on it, therefore, the manufacturer finds the greatest scope for his efforts. Being required for offence as well as defence, it is like the Warrior's blade, “ both Sword and Shield,” and hence the importance of concentrating in a single weapon all the qualities most valued by Cricketers. To satisfy the demands of modern players is no light or easy matter, as they involve conditions all but irreconcilable. The Bat is usually required to be light, yet to have plenty of wood, to have immense driving powers, yet to be well balanced, so that it may “ come up well.” The blade being made of willow— alight and soft wood—the face of it has necessarily to be hutdened ; but to obtain the best results the wood must not be condensed throughout, or the grain crushed by great pressure, as the natural elasticity would thereby be injured. Very few manufac­ turers appear to understand the correct method ot performing this important operation. Then, too, the handle must have plenty of spring, without being weak ; it must have just the right amount of ovailing, and be well and truly spliced into the blade. Finally, in addition to all the special qualifications stated, great durability is demanded and expected. Such Bats as we have described are naturally, highly prized bv Cricketers everywhere, but as they can only be produced by a manufacturer who is ail artist as well as a good mechanic and painstaking man of business, while the special quality of willow required for them is difficult to obtain, and yearly growing scarcer and dearer, it will be apparent that the quantity of the highest class of Bats must always be limited ; and the demand being great, they naturally command a good price. The remainder are valuable in proportion to the nearness with which they approach to the standard of first-class. J ames L illywh ite , F kowd & Co. have for many years past made a most careful study how best to overcome the difficulties above referred to, and as a result of their labours they have succeeded in inventing a number of machines and special appliances which enable them to produce the highest class of Bats with a certainty altogether unknown to the rule of thumb method so generally practiced. Of course, the first necessity is to possess good materials, and therefore J .L .F . & Co. have always acted on the principle of purchasing the very finest, willow that could be obtained, and keeping a large stock of it. They have, therefore, always plenty of thoroughly seasoned wood ready for use. Further, they employ only highly skilled workmen, who are then trained to carry out the firm’ s ideas. Finally, the Bats, when completed, are subjected to a process of continuous oiling and seasoning in a carefully regulated temperature in a large ware­ house specially built for this purpose, and are then ready for use, and may be sent with the fullest confidence to the most trying climates in the world. 2, N ew in g ton C a u s e w a y , a n d 69 to 74 , B ohoug i i H o a d , L o n d o n , S . E .