Striking a cricket ball effectively is a complex movement involving many parameters. Measuring the quality of such shots has to date been a purely subjective measure based on visual assessment by an expert observer. Such metrics are prone to errors due to differences in observers, the inability of the human visual system to accurately perceive high-speed motion, and other human factors. It is also not unusual for different batsman to have markedly different batting techniques, which further reduces the accuracy of human assessment.

Using two tri-axial bat-mounted accelerometers, we have shown that it is possible to estimate the angular velocity and bat twist at any instant during the swing, as well as detect the time of impact and other important events. Conducting field tests on a variety of subjects has shown that these results are highly repeatable across a wide range of batting standards and conditions. It is expected that future research will enable to extraction of such features as shot power, shot direction and angle of elevation.