Tips on buying a cricket bat
Since resuming club cricket, I've slowly been stocking up my kit bag. Obligatory for game 1 was cricket whites and a box (the one thing you don't share with your fellow players). After achieving my goal of surviving to stumps for game 2, I treated myself to some pads, gloves and a thigh pad (plus of course a kit bag to carry it all). The next step is the most important acquisition of all for a cricketer (other than a nickname)... the bat.
For my initial reconnaissance, I visited the local A-Mart All Sports and perused the many bats hanging off the wall. I noticed few had scoops. Back in my earlier playing days (when Cyndi Lauper and hyper-colour T-shirts were popular), the most interesting thing about a bat was the number and configuration of the scoops (I was the proud owner of a 4 scoop grey nichols). When I mentioned the lack of scoops to the salesman, he replied "they were phased out years ago!", looking at me like I was a wrinkled old granddad reminiscing about 8 ball overs or the back foot no ball rule. Hmm, time for this ol' fogey to join the 21st Century.
So I did what anyone does these days when they need to find out stuff without getting off their butt - I googled tips on buying a cricket bat. Some tidbits I picked up:
- English willow is the best wood. All the bats I looked at were made from English willow so that's a no brainer
- Weight is important - not to go too heavy or too light. Apart from one bat that would've given Clive Lloyd a hernia, all the bats I hefted were mid-range so again, easy peasy.
- One article talked about buying a model that matches your batting style. I didn't see any model suiting the "happy just to survive to the end of the over" style so I'm letting that one through to the keeper.
- Most places stressed the importance of knocking in the bat with a mallet or old cricket ball to compress the wood. One website even went so far as to say you had to knock in the bat for at least 6 hours before even using it. I don't think I have the patience to do that - maybe a few hours at best before a quick hit in the nets
So the question I put to cricket-blog.com readers is this - do you have any tips for buying a cricket bat? The Oldham Cricket Club seem to have a hankering for the Kookaburra brand so I'd be interested in hearing any other thoughts on particular brands or types of bats you'd recommend. Should I just rock down to the local A-mart All Sports or should I be visiting a proper cricket store (and if so, any in Brisbane you recommend)? Any tips, thoughts, suggestions or remininisces are welcome...
| Posted by JC on Tue 30 Oct |  29 comments |
Do you still have to soak them in linseed oil? 4 scoops... you guys must have been loaded!
I've seen 'knocking in' thingamies - a short stick with a cricket ball on the end.. maybe that's the go.
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 19:04:50
I've seen 'knocking in' thingamies - a short stick with a cricket ball on the end.. maybe that's the go.
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 19:04:50
You mention weight, JC but not width. Look for
one that seems much, much wider than the others.
When I was a kid there was either English willow or Kashmir willow. Now apart from the difference in price, with EW being about a hundred times dearer, the KW felt like you were batting with a piece of metal. Even if you hit the middle, the jarring effect could be felt through your entire body.
I still have a single scoop Grey Nichols. Even my son was too embarrassed to use it when he was a boy.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-30 20:07:33
one that seems much, much wider than the others.
When I was a kid there was either English willow or Kashmir willow. Now apart from the difference in price, with EW being about a hundred times dearer, the KW felt like you were batting with a piece of metal. Even if you hit the middle, the jarring effect could be felt through your entire body.
I still have a single scoop Grey Nichols. Even my son was too embarrassed to use it when he was a boy.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-30 20:07:33
Width as in the face of the bat? I'd assume that was fairly constrained - or are you talking about the thickness?
Posted by JC on 2007-10-30 21:09:14
Posted by JC on 2007-10-30 21:09:14
Kashmir Willow.. I wonder if DK ever tried that before patenting the aluminium whacking stick.
JC you'd want to be sure you don't buy a bat with a kevlar sticker on the reverse side, Ponting spoiled it for everyone by scoring too many runs.
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 22:29:53
JC you'd want to be sure you don't buy a bat with a kevlar sticker on the reverse side, Ponting spoiled it for everyone by scoring too many runs.
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 22:29:53
LOL re stickers. I noticed a lot of the bats had fancy shmancy stickers with animals, mascots, pics with attitude. I don't want any bat with a theme. Simple as possible - manufacturer's logo + wood.
Posted by JC on 2007-10-30 22:33:45
Posted by JC on 2007-10-30 22:33:45
Maybe take a leaf out of McGrath's book and get your high score printed on the back..
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 23:32:04
Posted by Moses on 2007-10-30 23:32:04
Just joking JC. Suggest that the wider the bat, the better the chance of connecting!!
I miss the smell of linseed oil. These coated bats are often ready for use immediately.
A favourite smell, like new cars, walking past a pub at 7am for the aroma of stale beer and cigarette butts....
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-31 10:35:18
I miss the smell of linseed oil. These coated bats are often ready for use immediately.
A favourite smell, like new cars, walking past a pub at 7am for the aroma of stale beer and cigarette butts....
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-10-31 10:35:18
I wouldn't go past choosing a bat, say, a Kookaburra, simply because your favourite batsman uses one. It's a simple idea, perhaps a bit superstitious, but it worked for me as a kid.
Posted by TA on 2007-10-31 11:54:37
Posted by TA on 2007-10-31 11:54:37
Dan, ah, I get you now. I thought you were making a technical comment about the thickness of a bat, referencing the power you might get from it. Instead, you were just making a smart-arse wisecrack :-)
Anyhoo, after dropping my kid off at school this morning, I dropped by Amart All Sports on a whim on the way home. They happened to have 20% off the Grey Nichols. I found one that was already knocked in which was irresistible (6 hours of repetitive clonking a bat with a mallet versus 0 hours), looks very thick and powerful and yet feels light - I got it for $135.00. Seems a good deal, see how it goes on Saturday.
Posted by JC on 2007-10-31 12:05:58
Anyhoo, after dropping my kid off at school this morning, I dropped by Amart All Sports on a whim on the way home. They happened to have 20% off the Grey Nichols. I found one that was already knocked in which was irresistible (6 hours of repetitive clonking a bat with a mallet versus 0 hours), looks very thick and powerful and yet feels light - I got it for $135.00. Seems a good deal, see how it goes on Saturday.
Posted by JC on 2007-10-31 12:05:58
heres some tips im a junior cricketer but know alot about the sport, if your strong ask for a 2 pound 10 or 11 bat, if your about average ask for a 2 pound 7, 8 or 9 if your a little bit under average or just like the light bats ask for a 2 pound 6, if your over 6 foot 3, ask for a long blade bat, if your under 6 foot 3 ask for a short handle, knocking in is essential and in order to keep it strong oil it once, then after a week or so, get extratec fitted (about $13), if you like playing drives ask for a bat with a lower middle, if you like slogging ask for a higher middle, i have some more tips if you want
Posted by JB on 2007-11-19 20:47:42
Posted by JB on 2007-11-19 20:47:42
hey,
does it matter the line things on the top of the handle?
coz i just brought a ballistic 3000 and it only has 2 lines on the top of the handle does it matter?
Posted by Brad on 2008-01-17 12:18:56
does it matter the line things on the top of the handle?
coz i just brought a ballistic 3000 and it only has 2 lines on the top of the handle does it matter?
Posted by Brad on 2008-01-17 12:18:56
Bats should never be soaked in linseed oil, a few light coats is more than enough.
A pre knocked in bat is often pressed harder and therefore will reduce performance. It is a good idea to knock in a bat with a hard ball mallet until seam marks are light and barely noticeable when using a ball.
If anyone needs to purchase a bat I'm able to supply cricket bats from club kit level to top of the range english willow.
$150-$330 (Top of the line bats are half prices of what you would see in a store).
ssbats AT gmail DOT COM
Posted by Patrick C on 2008-01-24 00:01:30
A pre knocked in bat is often pressed harder and therefore will reduce performance. It is a good idea to knock in a bat with a hard ball mallet until seam marks are light and barely noticeable when using a ball.
If anyone needs to purchase a bat I'm able to supply cricket bats from club kit level to top of the range english willow.
$150-$330 (Top of the line bats are half prices of what you would see in a store).
ssbats AT gmail DOT COM
Posted by Patrick C on 2008-01-24 00:01:30
AS a person who works in a cricket store in Vic, a few bits of advice....
Go and grab 5-10 bats in your price range.
Find an open space, shut your eyes and swing them. Dont even look at what bat you have in your hands.
Whatever feels the best there is the go.
After you buy it get it pressed unless its pre-pressed. It will save you 4-6 hours of hard work.
Oil it and let it dry, then knock in the edges and toe.
Oil it again and let it dry.
Go into the nets and BLOCK ONLY...try to use the middle of the bat.
If it leaves marks....knock in some more.
Keep going until it leaves no marks and your good to use it in a game.
Posted by Grant on 2008-04-10 17:13:09
Go and grab 5-10 bats in your price range.
Find an open space, shut your eyes and swing them. Dont even look at what bat you have in your hands.
Whatever feels the best there is the go.
After you buy it get it pressed unless its pre-pressed. It will save you 4-6 hours of hard work.
Oil it and let it dry, then knock in the edges and toe.
Oil it again and let it dry.
Go into the nets and BLOCK ONLY...try to use the middle of the bat.
If it leaves marks....knock in some more.
Keep going until it leaves no marks and your good to use it in a game.
Posted by Grant on 2008-04-10 17:13:09
Is it better to have more or less lines at the top of the handle.
Posted by Max on 2008-04-10 18:47:13
Posted by Max on 2008-04-10 18:47:13
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