Credit: Matthew Appleton

Handcrafting cricket bats has endured for centuries in England, but now faces the threat of extinction from overseas factories.

With these factories, based in India or Pakistan, producing around three million bats a year, many traditional bat makers struggle to keep up with the level of demand, with the number of bat makers now standing at an estimated twelve companies.

One of these is Ian Sampson, 68, who started making bats after joining Slazenger at at the age of 15.

After Slazenger’s Barnsley factory closed in the early 2000s, Ian set up Warrior Cricket in Wakefield, where he works keeping the enduring trade alive.

Producing just three bats a day, Ian ensures quality over quantity, with each bat having his fingerprints across them.

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