England look to rubber bat to improve fielding

England might have been trounced by 10 wickets in the second ODI in Hamilton, but there's hope for the future in the shape of a rubber bat.

It was invented by James Cornford, a former minor counties and second XI player. Mark Garaway, the England analyst, has helped to refine it to a standard where it is now a fixture in the team kitbag. After more than a year of tests, it will go on sale next month through Fusion Sports, the company set up by Cornford, with a club market in mind.

The Skyer is chunky, bright orange, tapered at the top of the blade and weighs about one kilogram. It is made from a 25mm thick, rubber-based compound cut into the blade of a normal bat. The trade secret lies in the density of the rubber, imported from Germany, which allows balls to be hit higher, farther and more accurately.

Richard Hobson has the full story in today's Times.