The performance of five different bat designs, from different eras spanning from 1905 to 2013, was assessed to address
the question whether the changes in bat design over the years have resulted in a performance advantage to the batsman.
Moment of inertia and ‘freely suspended’ vibration analysis tests were conducted, as these physical properties have been
directly associated with rebound characteristics of the bats. Results showed that changes in the blade’s profile such as
distribution of the blade’s weight along the edges and closer to the toe have resulted in a clear performance advantage
of the newest bats in comparison with older designs. These results add to the weight of evidence in cricket that the
game has changed to the benefit of the batsman and additional changes to bat design are conceivable as modern engineering
tools are applied to further optimise performance.