Woodworm Cricket Company said it was "looking forward" to posting its annual results following the Ashes heroics of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, two famous users of its bats.

The firm, based in Billingshurst, West Sussex, made a loss of more than £500,000 in the year ending March 2005 compared with £280,000 the year before, it has emerged.

But England's thrilling series win over Australia last summer rekindled a passion for cricket which sent sales at Woodworm soaring higher than a Flintoff six.

According to managing director Joe Sillet, the company sold 15,000 bats in the year to last September. It has sold double that amount almost 30,000 in the last four months.

Mr Sillet said: "Bat sales have gone bonkers. We have not done four years' trading yet but I am delighted to be in a position where all the hard work is finally paying off.

"Last year's figures are old news. Let's just say I am very much looking forward to posting our next set of results later this year. You can read into that what you will. Things are going very well."

The Flame, the bat Flintoff used in the Ashes series, went on sale in October and competes for popularity with the yellow Torch favoured by fellow bighitter Pietersen.

Both bats have a revolutionary shape which makes them stronger.

The story began four years ago when club cricketer and language graduate Mr Sillett, 33, could not decide which bat to use when he turned out for Brook in the third division of the Surrey Championship.

His father, Bob, retrieved the rotting bat from the shed and began to sand away one of the edges balancing up the other side. It left a stronger blade with curved shoulders.

John gave the bat a go and scored 142. When his team mates all wanted to have a go with it, John knew he had a strong business idea and set up the Woodworm Cricket Company.

Production is outsourced to a company in Cambridgeshire and firms in India.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006