Woodworm Cricket Company
Encyclopedia
Woodworm Cricket Company is a sports equipment and apparel company specialising in cricket
. The company markets cricket bat
s as well as a full range of other cricket equipment
, and have also recently branched out into golf
wear, Hockey, Camping and Ski Wear.
The company's stated goal was "to create a revolutionary bat, one which not only would appeal to the eye as something entirely new, but offer real playing and performance benefits".
Woodworm quickly became one of the most instantly recognisable cricket brands, thanks to bright green, yellow and orange stickers and the cutaway edges on their bats, and the flamboyant nature of their contracted professionals. However, in October 2008, the company was forced to terminate the lifetime contracts of their two highest profile stars, Kevin Pietersen
and Andrew Flintoff
, after running into financial difficulties.
With the backing of investment bankers, Joe launched The Woodworm Cricket Company. The company sold just over 200 in its first year of trading. By 2005, this had rocketed to over 15,000, propelled with sponsorship of big name players such as Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen
.
In 2007, the company branched out into golf
clothes, sponsoring Ernie Els
amongst other players.
By 2008, however, it was clear that the company was financially struggling, and in October that year, the company went into administration, from where it was purchased by Sports PLC, trading as The Sports HQ.
For the 2011 Cricket World Cup
,Woodworm have become the kit sponsors for the est Indies cricket team|West Indies Cricket
Sri Lanka
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. The company markets cricket bat
Cricket bat
A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....
s as well as a full range of other cricket equipment
Cricket clothing and equipment
Cricket is traced back to 1550. It was first played in Guildford, Surrey. Later in 1598, cricket was cited in an Italian English dictionary written by Florio. In the year 1676, British residents in Aleppo played cricket abroad for the first time....
, and have also recently branched out into golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
wear, Hockey, Camping and Ski Wear.
The company's stated goal was "to create a revolutionary bat, one which not only would appeal to the eye as something entirely new, but offer real playing and performance benefits".
Woodworm quickly became one of the most instantly recognisable cricket brands, thanks to bright green, yellow and orange stickers and the cutaway edges on their bats, and the flamboyant nature of their contracted professionals. However, in October 2008, the company was forced to terminate the lifetime contracts of their two highest profile stars, Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
and Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. A tall fast bowler, batsman and slip fielder, Flintoff according to the ICC rankings was consistently rated amongst the top...
, after running into financial difficulties.
History
In 2002, Joe Sillet was hunting in his garage for a bat having just been drafted for his local club's second team. The only one he could find had a bad case of woodworm, and to repair the damage, Joe carved out small curves towards the top of the bat, finishing it by hand. In the match, using his oddly shaped bat, he scored a century, and it was at that point Joe decided to found The Woodworm Cricket Company, with its now famous shaped bats.With the backing of investment bankers, Joe launched The Woodworm Cricket Company. The company sold just over 200 in its first year of trading. By 2005, this had rocketed to over 15,000, propelled with sponsorship of big name players such as Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
.
In 2007, the company branched out into golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
clothes, sponsoring Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
amongst other players.
By 2008, however, it was clear that the company was financially struggling, and in October that year, the company went into administration, from where it was purchased by Sports PLC, trading as The Sports HQ.
For the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
,Woodworm have become the kit sponsors for the est Indies cricket team|West Indies Cricket
Bats
- The Wand
- The Torch
- The Flame
- The Globe
- Hard Drive
- Mega Bite
- Satellite
- iBat
- Glowworm
- Hard Drive II
England
- Ian WestwoodIan WestwoodIan James Westwood is an English cricket player who plays for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.-Warwickshire:...
- Graham OnionsGraham OnionsGraham Onions is an English cricketer. He plays for Durham and England as a right arm fast-medium bowler and a right-hand tail-end batsman. After a successful start to the 2009 cricket season, Onions was selected to face the West Indies in Test cricket, and following success in the series, was...
- Matthew HoggardMatthew HoggardMatthew James Hoggard MBE is an English cricketer. The 6' 2" Hoggard is a right arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batsman. He played international cricket for England cricket team from 2000-2008, playing both Test cricket and One Day International cricket. He is currently the captain of...
- James AnyonJames AnyonJames Edward Anyon is a cricketer who currently plays for Sussex.He was educated in Lancashire before going to Loughborough University where Warwickshire spotted him playing for the University...
- Chris TremlettChris TremlettChristopher Timothy "Chris" Tremlett is an English cricketer who plays for Surrey County Cricket Club. He is 6 ft 8 in tall and is a fast bowler able to extract bounce on most surfaces. He is a competent number 8 or 9 batsman, with seven first-class fifties to his name...
- David WainwrightDavid Wainwright (Yorkshire cricketer)David John Wainwright is an English first-class cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2004 and 2011...
- Jonathon WebbJonathon WebbJonathon Webb is an Australian motor racing driver, currently competing in the V8 Supercar Championship Series....
- Tom MilnesTom MilnesThomas Patrick Milnes is an English cricketer. Milnes is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium. He was born at Stourbridge, Worcestershire....
- Nick James
- Steven PattersonSteven PattersonSteven Andrew Patterson is an English first-class cricketer, contracted to play for Yorkshire County Cricket Club....
- Chris WrightChris Wright (cricketer)Christopher Wright is an English cricketer.Chris Wright made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 2004, as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler...
- Will GidmanWill GidmanWilliam Robert Simon "Giddo" Gidman is a professional cricketer. Brother of Gloucestershire's Alex Gidman, Will was on the books in Bristol before signing for Durham in 2006. He made his first-class debut against Sri Lanka A in 2007 and bats left-handed...
- Karl TurnerKarl TurnerKarl Turner may refer to:*Karl Turner , English racing driver*Karl Turner , British politician...
Australia
- Peter Wooden
- Mitchell ClaydonMitchell ClaydonMitchell Eric Claydon is an Australian-born English first-class cricketer. He holds a British passport. Claydon is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. Claydon signed for Yorkshire in 2005.Claydon's debut match came as a tailender batsman for a Yorkshire Second XI against a...
- Scott CoyteScott CoyteScott James Coyte is an Australian cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for New South Wales and has represented the Australian Under-19 team. He is a right-arm fast-medium bowler and a left-hand bat....
- Nick Warren (cricketer)Nick Warren (cricketer)Nicholas Alexander Warren is a former English cricketer, who played a small number of senior games for Warwickshire between 2002 and 2005, though he made his List A debut for the Warwickshire Cricket Board side in 2001....
- Burt CockleyBurt CockleyBurt Cockley is an Australian cricketer who currently plays for the New South Wales Blues. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler....
Hong Kong
- Najeeb Amar
Sri Lanka
- Lasith MalingaLasith MalingaSeparamadu Lasith Malinga is a Sri Lankan cricketer. He is a fast bowler with a rare round-arm action, sometimes referred to as a sling action, which leads to his nickname, "Slinga Malinga"...