Collingwood's broad bat

Cricket bats have become bigger and bigger in recent years to the extent that they are like railway sleepers. However, Paul Collingwood has taken it to the extreme by using one that really wouldn't look out of place on the West Coast Mainline.

He has been using the extra-large bat, which weighs around four-and-a-half to five pounds compared to the normal weight of just under three pounds, during nets on the South Africa tour.

"It's something the Durham second-team coach Jon Lewis came up with about six months ago,” he said. "He asked the manufacturer to make him the biggest bat possible, just to see if someone could use it in Twenty20.

"I tried it in the nets as a bit of a laugh. The weight of it makes you bring the bat down very straight and play the ball as late as possible.”

The by-product of using such a heavy piece of wood is that when Collingwood returns to his normal weight bat it feels as though he is batting with a toothpick. "When you go back to your normal bat, your bat-speed is exceptional because you can't even feel a cricket bat in your hand,” he said.

However, regardless of size of Collingwood’s bat, plenty of balls having been hitting the middle in recent weeks after he made 40 from 188 deliveries to help England save the Newlands Test. There is only one problem about the extra piece of kit he is now lugging around in his bag.

"I've found it of benefit to me,” he said. “It might not work for everybody - and Phil Neale, our manager, isn't very happy with the excess baggage.”