Willows from Kent become bats for top cricketers

An estate has planted 200 willows in Kent, as another 220 trees head off to be made into cricket bats - potentially for some of the world's top players.

The trees have been planted at Hadlow Easte near Tonbridge.

The mature trees they are replacing have been felled and sent to bat manufacturer Gray-Nicolls.

The firm has made cricket bats for legends of the game for 150 years.

Kate Teacher of the Hadlow Estate said: “Willow need their feet in water so we carefully select the right locations by riverbanks and on wet land.

“Willow matures quickly and there is a market for it, to make cricket bats, so it`s commercially viable as well as low maintenance, as we don`t need to irrigate or use fertiliser to get things growing”.

Alex Hohenkirk is one of three bat makers at Gray-Nicolls who have been based in Robertsbridge, East Sussex since 1875.

Bats made by the firm were used by early legends of the game, such as WG Grace and more recently Nasser Hussain and Sir Alastair Cook.

In the women's game Kent and England's Tammy Beaumont, who is from Dover, and Alice Capsey have also been signed to Gray-Nicolls.

Mr Hohenkirk said: “A player will have half a dozen in their bag, two that are favourites, match ready, and two that are nearly there and then two that are probably past it but they are not ready to let go of them yet."

The willows being planted in partnership with the bat maker will take 20 years to mature. Around 18ft of wood is used to make up to 40 bats.

The England cricket team lost their opening game of the cricket World Cup earlier.

England's defence of their World Cup title began with a nine-wicket hammering at the hands of New Zealand in Ahmedabad, India.

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