The Marylebone Cricket Club has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of cricket's rulebook, with 73 amendments set to take effect from October 2026.
Among the most significant changes is the legalisation of laminated Type D bats for adult recreational cricket, a move designed to tackle soaring equipment costs that have put the sport increasingly out of reach for amateur players.
The amendment to Law 5.8, covering bat categories, is a direct response to the sustainability and financial pressures facing grassroots cricket, as English willow becomes increasingly scarce and expensive.
Previously restricted to junior cricket, these multi-piece bats will now be permitted at all levels of the recreational game, though professional cricket is expected to continue using traditional single-piece willow blades.
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The financial strain on cricket's equipment market has reached critical levels, with bat prices having tripled in recent years.
Surging demand from South Asian nations, combined with dwindling supplies of English willow, has pushed premium models to nearly £1,000.
"There's not really enough willow to go round," Fraser Stewart, the MCC's Laws manager, told BBC Sport.
Stewart emphasised the environmental dimension of the decision, he said: "So it's about being as sustainable as we can, too. Let's try and use as much of the tree as possible. Let's try and be as sustainable as we can."
The Marylebone Cricket Club has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of cricket's rulebook, with 73 amendments set to take effect from October 2026
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The MCC convened a conference at Lord's last year, gathering key industry figures to address the future of bat production.
Manufacturers have welcomed the changes, with Stewart noting they have no desire to charge excessive prices for their products.
Type D bats feature a laminated construction using up to three wooden pieces, typically combining an English willow striking face with cheaper backing materials such as Kashmir willow.
Manufacturers will also gain permission to incorporate woods other than willow behind the bat face under the revised regulations.
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English willow has become increasingly scarce and expensive
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The MCC conducted extensive testing alongside bat makers before approving the change, with Stewart confirming that any performance benefit from the laminated design would be "marginal at best".
He said: "We felt if anything can be done for the lower levels of the sport that will help make it more affordable without changing the dynamics of the game then it's a sensible move to make."
Types A, B and C bats, crafted from solid single-piece willow, will remain the standard at the elite level.
The new edition of the Laws will also conclude the removal of gendered language throughout the rulebook, while simplifying wording to assist readers for whom English is not their first language.
Professional cricket is expected to continue using traditional single-piece willow blades
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One notable adjustment affects multi-day matches, where the final over of a session will now continue to completion even if a wicket falls, rather than ending immediately.
Boundary catches face tighter restrictions under revised Law 19.5.2, which eliminates so-called bunny hop catches by permitting fielders only one airborne touch after entering from beyond the rope.
Wicketkeepers must now position their gloves fully behind the stumps once the bowler releases the ball, though they may stand in front during the run-up.
Additional amendments address short runs, overthrow definitions, and when umpires may declare the ball dead.
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