Willow that makes the bowlers weep

Mike Selvey had an interesting piece in the weekend's Guardian about modern bats and the need to rein in technology. Selvey made me realise that there is more to the Ricky Ponting bat debate than old fuddy-duddy luddites getting upset at the introduction of something new. Selvey argues that modern bats make the game far too hard for spinners. He sees a parallel between cricket and golf, where new club technology has reduced the world's great courses to "a pitch and putt outing". I think he has a point. And another argument could be made against super-bats on behalf of the egalitarian nature of cricket. Selvey notes that super-bats are not hard-pressed and therefore don't last - he mentions in passing that Hershelle Gibbs is onto his 47th bat this year. Unless you are an international player with a neat sponsorship deal, these super-bats do not come cheap. It would be a tragedy if the game ever came to a point where the rich play better than the poor simply because they can afford better equipment.