Cricket has been bowled a googly by scientists who have suggested the traditional willow used to make bats could be replaced by bamboo to increase their sustainability. “Willow is the principal material for cricket bats,” said Dr Darshil Shah at the University of Cambridge, but there are problems with the supply of English willow. It takes about 15 years before a tree can be harvested… Between 15% and 30% of the wood is also wasted during bat production. Shah… said that by contrast bamboo – a grass – is a cheap, plentiful, fast growing and sustainable material. …Prof Mark Miodownik at the Institute of Making at University College London …welcomed the study and said it showed a potential new use for bamboo. “However just because bamboo is more plentiful than willow does not mean bats made from it would be more sustainable,” he said. “The whole life cycle of production… needs to be considered.”