Cricket Bat Features

Bat Grading

Pro - Grade 1+ English Willow - Made from the top 5% of English willow. Bats will typically have minimum of 7-8 grains and will be low density willow which allows for larger bats with lighter weights.

Players L.E - Grade 1 English Willow -  The Grade 1 English Willow will have a minimum of 6-7 grains and maybe a small blemish or mark on the playing face.

Players - Grade 2 English Willow  - The Grade 2 English Willow will have a minimum of 5 grains and maybe a blemish or mark on the playing face.

5 Star - Grade 3 English Willow – The Grade 3 English Willow will be similar to that of grade 2 bats but will have more marks and blemishes on the playing surface. Will normally have a minimum of 4 grains.

Butterfly - Butterfly willow is known for its strength and highly sought after and this bat is no exception. There will be significant colouring on the surface of the blade.

All our bats are handcrafted and pressed to ensure optimum performance. Each bat will be fitted with a top quality cane and cork handle to provide excellent performance and durability. Grading is made mainly on aesthetics, size and weight as we expect all our bats to perform optimally based on their specific characteristics.

Weight

Each bat will have their weights listed based on their ‘naked/natural’ which is after they receive their final sanding, polishing and have had their handle bound with twine. We weigh bat at this stage to give us an accurate reflection of the bat weight as things sit as bat grips( style and number), stickers, protective face coverings, toe guards and oiling can all alter a bats weight. For example depending on the style of bat grip you add to you bat you could add 2oz to the overall weight without realising.

Handle Shape

Oval Handle - The choice of many batsmen around the world. It is typically known to aid with control of the top hand, taking pressure off the bottom hand and helping batters play in the 'V'. Provides a more direct feel through the shot and twists less on impact therefore less energy is lost. Assists in the development of a top hand dominant technique.

Round Handle - Allows the bottom hand to come into play more easily for aerial shots. As a loose rule players, that attack mainly with horizontal bat shots tend to prefer a Round handle as it allows for an easier roll of the wrist over the ball. Typically, the choice of Asian players. It is for players who are wristy, like using the bottom hand and like to feel the bottom hand on the handle.

Semi Oval -This is a hybrid between the oval and round handle and offers a slight oval handle and is not as pronounced as a traditional oval handle.

Blade Length

Standard – 22 inches (normal length)

Long Blade - 22 7/8 inches. We would recommend you ought to only look for a long blade if you are over 6ft'3.

T20 – The T20 bat will be the same size as our standard short handle adults bats but there is a slightly shorter blade, longer handle and larger edges. This option is perfect for T20 games as it allows there to be a greater volume of wood in the middle.

Bat Profile

Full – There is no scalloping on the back of the bat. This increase the amount of willow along with width of the bat which can make the sweet spot wider. A fuller profile can result in a slightly heavier bat. We do recommend with a fuller profile to have a shallow to mid spine height to aid bat weight and pick up.

Slight Scallop – This is between 1-3mm of scalloping in the back of the bat. This allows for greater spine heights and will aid improve the balance and pick up of the bat. Increased scalloping can narrow the sweet spot on the bat slightly as there is less wood off centre in the bat.

Extreme Scallop – There is 3mm+ of scalloping in the back of the bat, which can be found in many sub-continental styled bats. This allows for extreme spine hights and allows for lighter bat weights, pick ups and allow for larger bat edges.

Sweet Spot

Low – The sweet spot is located closer to the toe of bat. This option is suited to slow low pitches and players who prefer playing on the front foot. You may also find that the pick up feels heavier on bats with a lower sweet spot.
Mid – The sweet spot will located in the middle of the bat. This option is great for all round stroke play off both the front and back foot. It also allows for a more balanced pick up.
High – This sweet spot is slightly above the middle of the bat. This option is best suited to bouncier pitches and players who like to play off the back foot. Higher sweet spots allow for a lighter feeling pick up.

Toe Profile

Normal – Gradual curve from the apex of the spine to the toe.

Full Spine – The spine of the will run straight through the toe. A full spine through the toe aids in improving the strength of the toe as there is more wood in the toe.

Duckbill – The duckbill toe allows there to be extra thickness in the toe which aids in the balance of the bat and improving the pick up as well. This profile preferred by many international players due to the balance and amount of wood left in the bat in the hitting zone.

Toe Shape

Round – A Round toe is the most common toe shape used by players and in general will help prevent damage of the bat toe.

Super Round – Exaggerated round toe as seen on MS Dhoni’s bats. With no sharp corners on the toe allows impact forces from the ball or the ground to be dispersed along the whole toe. Also there is the opinion that this shape allows for better bat clearance on the ground when playing certain shots.

Semi Square - The main reason for an Semi square toe is that it helps minimize damage from tapping at the crease and running in, as the toe is slightly offset.

Square – A Square toe has been widely used by current international players as it enhances pickup and increases the sweet spot right down to the toe. It also gives the feeling of a bigger toe area due to there being less wastage in comparison to the round toe