Dennis Lillee's Aluminium Cricket Bat

Dennis Lillee’s Aluminium Bat

Manufactured by a friend of Lillee’s, this hollow aluminium cricket bat was intended only as a cheap alternative for the developing aport of indoor cricket.

However, Lillee chose to use it in a Test match and at that time, the rules did not outlaw bats made of other materials.

The Aluminium Bat Combat

The 1970’s were a time of immense social changes in Australia, and cricket especially. The arrival of Kerry Packer’s controversial and unorthodox World Series Cricket indelibly transformed the game; from night matches to introduction of helmets. Changing the boundary lines of cricket (so to speak), in just about every way.

Perth, December 1979

Arriving at the crease on the second day of the first Test in the series against England, Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee is batting on his home WACA ground. Lillee brought shockwaves amongst spectators and players alike when he appeared on the field with an unusual first in Test cricket history, an aluminium bat.

Lillee faced four deliveries with this bat and made an additional three runs to his overnight score.

Thereafter, England captain Mike Brearley complained to the umpires that the unorthodox ‘Combat’ by the metal bat was damaging the ball.

After a 15-minute delay, during which Lillee hurled the bat away in apparent disgust, the match eventually resumed with a conventional willow blade.

The national publicity generated around the incident promoted the aluminium bat’s presence in the market, but forced the Marylebone Cricket Club to introduce a new law for bats, stating that ‘The blade shall consist solely of wood’ – Law 6b (4).