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A rare outing into the Sports forum for me, but I need some advice.
Basically what do I need to know to buy a good cricket bat? What are the variations and what do they mean?
I'm getting back into Cricket after something like a 15-20 year break (school). I'm effectively starting back at square one, and have joined my work team and soon a local team too. I've had a look on some sites and the range and price variation has me completely baffled. I don't mind spending a bit on something decent but don't know where to start.
Any help appreciated.
Basically what do I need to know to buy a good cricket bat? What are the variations and what do they mean?
I'm getting back into Cricket after something like a 15-20 year break (school). I'm effectively starting back at square one, and have joined my work team and soon a local team too. I've had a look on some sites and the range and price variation has me completely baffled. I don't mind spending a bit on something decent but don't know where to start.
Any help appreciated.
There are loads of options, and it could all be a bit mind boggling. Where abouts in the UK are you? I might know your best local specialist is to point you in the right direction. But essentially, there are two types of willow, make sure you get English willow rather than kashmir willow. Anything over 100 quid and even some below this will be English.
Then as you get more expensive you basically get higher quality of willow. You want to pickup a bat that has grains of willow as 'clean' and straight as possible, but beware of companies who stick nice looking fake faces on the front to make it look nice!
Then pickup a few and see what feels right if you can, there are lots of different bat shapes that either suit "bashers", front foot players, etc. I play every week and bat about 6/7 for a second team and I spend sbout 150-180 on a bat, so you probably dont need to go crazy.
Ask anymore questions if you want!
Then as you get more expensive you basically get higher quality of willow. You want to pickup a bat that has grains of willow as 'clean' and straight as possible, but beware of companies who stick nice looking fake faces on the front to make it look nice!
Then pickup a few and see what feels right if you can, there are lots of different bat shapes that either suit "bashers", front foot players, etc. I play every week and bat about 6/7 for a second team and I spend sbout 150-180 on a bat, so you probably dont need to go crazy.
Ask anymore questions if you want!
Rich, I'm based in Basildon, Essex. Thanks for the pointers so far.
I've been reading a few sites, especially around brands like Kookaburra. Questions so far are... which model would be best for me (a complete amateur), what do the terms like "huge profile" and "maintains pick up" mean, and what weight do I need. You can probably guess from my username I'm a big guy - 6'7" tall but average build, if that helps. In terms of shots I don't really have a front/back foot preference.
I've been reading a few sites, especially around brands like Kookaburra. Questions so far are... which model would be best for me (a complete amateur), what do the terms like "huge profile" and "maintains pick up" mean, and what weight do I need. You can probably guess from my username I'm a big guy - 6'7" tall but average build, if that helps. In terms of shots I don't really have a front/back foot preference.
I spent £200 on a chase 175 about 10yrs ago. At the time, that was as much as one could spend on an off the shelf bat. It was beautiful and lasted three seasons. Best bat I've ever played with.
A few years ago I spent £20 on a bdm off a chap at the club who'd picked up 3 for 50 quid on eBay. Had to take a few ounces of its s
tty Kashmir willow off to make it playable-with for me.
Scored many more with the bdm than the chase. It's all about the batsman rather than the bat.
Btw, even a £300 bat nowadays isn't as nice ostensibly as the chase. Don't know what they play like but they certainly don't look as nice. (Rose tinted specs notwithstanding)
A few years ago I spent £20 on a bdm off a chap at the club who'd picked up 3 for 50 quid on eBay. Had to take a few ounces of its s
tty Kashmir willow off to make it playable-with for me. Scored many more with the bdm than the chase. It's all about the batsman rather than the bat.
Btw, even a £300 bat nowadays isn't as nice ostensibly as the chase. Don't know what they play like but they certainly don't look as nice. (Rose tinted specs notwithstanding)
http://www.fordhamsports.co.uk/
Bit of a trek from Essex , but one of the better specialised cricket shops
Bit of a trek from Essex , but one of the better specialised cricket shops
http://www.popeandsmith.com/
These have been going years in Chelmsford. Good selection of stuff,helpful bloke,I was in the shop yesterday buying for my lad.
These have been going years in Chelmsford. Good selection of stuff,helpful bloke,I was in the shop yesterday buying for my lad.
TallMark said:
<snip>I've been reading a few sites, especially around brands like Kookaburra. Questions so far are... which model would be best for me (a complete amateur), what do the terms like "huge profile" and "maintains pick up" mean, and what weight do I need. You can probably guess from my username I'm a big guy - 6'7" tall but average build, if that helps. In terms of shots I don't really have a front/back foot preference.
I'm in a similar position to you, having started to play in the 'workplace league' recently. I would love to play regularly for a club but for the fact that I'm in two different places during the week and at weekends precluding me from joining. Anyway, I have an old kashmir willow MRF Typhoon and use it, but I find it too damn heavy, especially after having a feel for some of the english willow bats others have in the team.When you pick up an english willow bat like how you would to play, you can generally feel where the 'middle' of the bat (point where the bat is thickest) is, whereas the Kashmir willow felt too heavy all the way through to give a good feel. The term 'huge profile' is just a way of saying that the 'middle' of the bat is very much enhanced to give maximum amount of wood there for a given weight. I would only use manufacturer's description as a guide to how the bat is shaped, quite a lot of it tends to be marketing fluff (I'm looking at you PUMA!) and the best way to find out what would be best for you is get down to your local shop and try all their bat selection.
Each particular model comes in a range of weights and the feel of the same bat model will vary as the weight increases. This was surprising for me when I went to the local cricket shop (Beckenham Cricket Specalists) to get a feel for what would suit me best. From the Kookaburra's description, I thought the 'Blade' model would suit me best as I hate heavy bats and the Blade is supposed to be nice and light. When I tried it in the shop I couldn't get on with it at all even at the supposedly featherweight Blades of 2lb 7oz weights. I picked up a 'Big Kahuna' which was a bit heavier (2lb 9oz I think) and more beefier middle and immediately felt at home. It 'picked up' well despite being heavier than the Blades I had tried. So, 'maintains pick up' means that the weight distribution of the bat is so that when you're playing a shot it doesn't 'feel' heavy, allowing you to generate a higher bat speed and react to the ball quicker, therefore time it better.
Other considerations are, which place in the batting order are you likely to bat? If batting lower down the order, you'd want a beefier/weightier bat so you get maximum value for your shots. Opening? Need a lighter bat to help in quick reactions. Middle order? Something inbetween the two extremes, I guess?
Remember, even if the bat supposedly has a "huge profile", if it weighs 2lb7oz, you're not gonna have that much wood to work with to translate to a beefier middle. Also, by focusing on the 'profile' so much, the manufacturers have to compromise on something else to make the bat 'pick up' very well so look for an allround well designed bat.BTW, if you're 6'7" you almost certainly will need to go for a LH (Long Handle) bat, which means you're in luck! They don't sell as well for obvious reasons and so you could probably find greatly discounted LH versions of bats from the previous years catalogue.
This vid also explains the 'middle' thing more clearly than me. Hope this helps.
Head to Essex CCC's ground at Chelmsford if you can, I think they have a shop and stock the major brands as well as some smaller brands well respected such as Piri Piri and Warsop. You do need a LH (long handle) at your height really, best thing is to go and pick some up and see what feels right. Last year's model's should offer a discount if they suit, and there won't be anything wrong with getting something a year old.
Mark,
I don't play, but my son does. We're off here in a couple of weeks to get a new bat
http://www.handmadebats.co.uk/
They're not far away from you (and me) and maybe of interest
I don't play, but my son does. We're off here in a couple of weeks to get a new bat
http://www.handmadebats.co.uk/
They're not far away from you (and me) and maybe of interest
What style of player are you?
Do you see yourself darting around on the front foot tickling runs off your pad, and all deft glances down leg? Or will you be standing back and bullying th thing into submission?
The former will want a lighter pickup, and the latter a dirty great piece of wood with a big sweet spot. Adapt your blade to how you play.
Do you see yourself darting around on the front foot tickling runs off your pad, and all deft glances down leg? Or will you be standing back and bullying th thing into submission?
The former will want a lighter pickup, and the latter a dirty great piece of wood with a big sweet spot. Adapt your blade to how you play.
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