Traditional woods have had a good innings but rising temperatures mean the need to find alternatives is pressing

What happens if you run out of trees? It is a situation cricket must face in the perfect storm of an expanding game and more precarious growing conditions due to accelerated climate change.

Cricket and willow are the sun and moon of sport. The handcrafted bat, the beautiful, insect-rich tree. But there are now 200 million regular cricketers worldwide. The UK produces half a million willow clefts a year, Kashmir between 1.5 to 3m. With one cleft equalling one bat, the numbers no longer add up.

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