There is no James Kirtley in the World Cup squad, but a Sussex man will still be able to claim to have played a part in any success England enjoy in South Africa.

Billingshurst-based Joe Sillett is hoping the new cricket bat he has invented will make a hero out of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff over the next few weeks.

Over the years cricketers have used flat backs, ridge backs, super-scoops, spooned faces and even bats with lead in the sweet spot. No one will forget Dennis Lillee's aluminium bat or Lance Cairns' shoulder-less blade.

Now Joe, with a little help from his father Bob, has come up with the Woodworm Wand and Flintoff, who should play a key role in England's World Cup campaign, could be the first of many top stars who endorse the bat.

The Silletts' story began in 2001 when they found an old bat riddled with woodworm in their shed. Bob shaved away the worst bits and finished with a blade with curved shoulders.

Joe decided to give it a try the following weekend in a friendly for his club side Brook, just over the Surrey border. In the first over he survived a perilously close lbw decision on nought. If the umpire had raised his finger Joe admits the bat would have gone straight in the bin. Instead, he went on to make 142 not out including three successive sixes.

His team-mates were clamouring to give the bat a try themselves and Joe had the idea for a business. The Woodworm Cricket Company was born.

In November 2001, Joe approached three bat manufacturers with his design. Three expressed an interest and Joe signed a contract with Cambridge-based Hunts County who, ironically, had manufactured the woodworm-infested original he'd found in the shed.

The Wand has 12cm cutaways just below the shoulder on either side of the splice. The extra weight has been re-distributed into the most important area, the hitting zone. It means a bat with a more powerful sweet spot but a lighter pick-up.

Joe explained: "About 95 per cent of runs are made off what you would call the business end of the bat which is just below where we have done the cutaways. The main area is to transfer the weight we have saved into the sweet spot, but we've also reduced the risk of getting caught off the outside edge because the cutaways are in an area where a lot of players, especially club cricketers, get edges."

The new design got MCC approval 11 months ago and within a few weeks the first of the new bats had been manufactured and were being sold via mail order through the company's website and at Test match venues around England.

Joe persuaded Russel Arnold to use the bat during last summer's one-day series on a trial basis and the Sri Lankan all-rounder was so impressed he agreed to endorse the Wand full-time. Team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan was soon signed up to promote Woodworm's range of bowling boots and batting gloves.

But Joe wanted to raise the profile of his new bat even higher and the person he immediately identified was Flintoff.

When he discovered Flintoff's existing bat contract was about to expire he began negotiations with his agent and just before he flew out to Australia Flintoff signed a three-year deal.

"We wanted someone who is a bit different but still very marketable and Freddie fitted the bill," said Joe. "He's delighted with the Wand, he reckons its the best bat he's ever used.

"He took three or four with him to Australia and he had other players borrowing them all the time. The word is spreading about the Wand and I'm sure there will be other top players using our bat."

The Wand is available in three weights ranging from 2lb 7oz to 3lb 4oz and at £115 for the cheapest bat it is competitively priced. Junior models have also been launched.