Pietersen and Flintoff split from Woodworm

The credit crunch might be the last thing on England's mind at the moment, with the million-dollar Stanford Series match a week away, but one of the most high-profile bat manufacturers has lost Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff as clients.

Woodworm, whose chiselled bats became famous in the 2005 Ashes, is believed to have been hit hard by the economic slow-down, with Pietersen signing a lucrative contract with Adidas while Flintoff is also on the lookout.

Woodworm also had difficulty breaking into the golf equipment market, despite being endorsed by Ernie Els.