Dennis Lillee's Match-Used Aluminium ComBat

A match-used aluminium 'Dennis Lillee ComBat' with the crossed rifles and Lillee decal affixed on the rear of the blade. 86 cm length. (Lacks rubber handgrip). Provenance: The Barry Knight Collection [England, 29 Tests 1961-69]. The ComBat was the subject of an incident that occurred at the Waca cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. Australia were playing England in the first Test, and were in trouble at the end of the first day, at a score of 232/8, with Dennis Lillee not out. When the second day of play began, Lillee emerged onto the field carrying a bat made from aluminium. The bat, manufactured by the company of Lillee's good friend Graeme Monaghan, was intended only as a cheap replacement for traditional cricket bats for schools and developing countries. Nevertheless, Lillee decided to use it in the Test match as a marketing stunt, and at that point, there were no rules against using such a bat. This was not the first time Lillee had used an aluminium bat, as he had employed one 12 days previously in a Test against the West Indies without incident. The trouble began on the fourth ball of the day, when Lillee straight drove a ball from Ian Botham. The ball went for three runs, and nothing appeared untoward. However, Australian captain Greg Chappell thought that the ball should have gone for a four, and instructed twelfth man Rodney Hogg to deliver a conventional wooden bat to Lillee. As this was happening, English captain Mike Brearley complained to the umpires that the metallic bat was damaging the soft, leather cricket ball. Although the umpires told Lillee he had to change his bat, Lillee instructed Hogg that he wasn't going to, and assumed a posture to face the next delivery. Brearley, Lillee and the umpires held an animated discussion for almost ten minutes, before Chappell decided that the game would be held up if things continued. He emerged onto the ground, took one of the willow bats from Hogg, and instructed Lillee to be quiet and use the bat, Lillee threw his aluminium bat away in disgust ('throwing the offending lump of metal fully 40 yards towards the pavilion'), and grudgingly took the wooden bat. Lillee was not censured or disciplined for this incident, both the umpires and the Australian Cricket Board decided to let Lillee off with only a warning.