Cricket Bats

Part 1 - Choosing a bat

I've been receiving quite a few hits on topics relating to cricket bats, and I realized that I can put my so called expertise on cricket bats to some use for the general public.

My first tip to anyone who wants to buy a cricket bat, will be, to decide on your budget. Or have an idea as to what is the maximum you are willing to go upto.

The reason I state the obvious, is because, there is a whole range of bats, different woods, different grades of wood, and different manufacturers, that you will definitely find the bat that you want within your budget.

The Wood:

The two main kinds of wood that cricket bats are made of, are Kashmir Willow, and English Willow.

Kashmir Willows, are definitely much cheaper than English Willows, but then again, as the price is lower, so is the performance. The thwack you hear on a well timed ball, sounds sweeter, on an English Willow, than on a Kashmir Willow and the ball actually travels further on English Willow. So its no surprise, that most professional batsmen, if not all, prefer English Willow.

Now, among English Willows, you have different grades. They go upto 4 different grades, with Grade 1 being the highest. So, it shouldnt surprise you if two English Willow bats, of different models, from the same manufacturer, have an almost 50% difference in price.

My suggestion is - buy an English Willow. They may be slightly expensive, but they perform better. I personally, own a Kashmir Willow myself, but, the store I went to, had only Kashmir Willows, and I was in a hurry to buy a bat.

Bat Selection

First, know your own game. Better yet, Laver and Wood, provide a great service. You can tell them, how your game is, what is your general batting position in the line up, what strokes you normally play, and all other information that you may care to give. They will suggest, what kind of a bat is good for you, the weight of the bat etc. Ofcourse, they will suggest one of their bats, and you may buy them, by all means. They seem to be good, from where I see it, on my computer screen! But its a great service nevetherless, and hats off to Laver & Wood for that. I personally used their suggestion for my bat, when I was thinking of an entirely different kind of bat to play with, and their suggestion was right.


There are a horde of websites, offering to sell you bats online. Though there is a rumor that some of the bats by the top manufactures like MRF are fakes, I personally suggest that you buy one at a store, that you can visit in person, for an entirely different reason.

The reasoning is very simple (even if you discount the fake bats rumor!). Cricket bats, are made of wood, which is a natural element. Cricket bats, are not like watches, or some other product, where a strict set of criteria go into the watch making the final cut and being up for sale. I mean, I'm sure cricket bats sure will have such criteria too, but then again, no two bats, made by the same manufacturer will be the same. One bat may have been made from a different batch of wood than the other one.

Besides the above, you as a batsman, will have to check the bat in person before you buy it.
The websites to make it easier, provide various criteria to help you make a decision - the weight of the bat, the length of the bat, etc. But you still wanna take your bat and check it out !

Take a bat, and play some strokes in the air, all imaginary. Play your favorite strokes, and also play the strokes that you most likely will not play, but play it out nevertheless !!

You need to answer these questions for yourself, while you check the bat out.

• Does the bat feel right?
• Does the bat's balance, feel right?
• Is the weight right? Not too heavy, not too light.
• Hold the bat up vertically, and hold it somewhere around the middle of the handle and give the bat a good forward and backward shake. Do you feel the top of the bat waving, or does the whole bat move together with your movement? (If you feel the top of the bat waving, and not moving together with your movement, the place where the handle meets the blade is most likely weak.)
• How many grains does the bat have on its face?(Grains, are the long lines of wood. 6 - 8 is ideal, anything less, the wood is too young, and anything more, the wood is too old, and hence more harder to knock).
• Does the wood have a streak of dark coloration anywhere? If it does, then, do not buy it. That dark area, is a lot more harder to knock.
  

These are very important considerations in buying a cricket bat, which is why I suggest, you dont buy it online. I almost made that mistake once, but I cancelled the order for entirely different reasons.

Final Tip

Dont be tempted to buy any of those big name bats, if you have a limited budget. If you dont mind the extra $30 or $50, and it makes you feel good that you are using a bat, endorsed by so and so player, then by all means go ahead. But if you are a budget constrained student, or like me, in transition between school and work, then, you can buy a perfectly good bat, from a little heard or unheard of manufacturer, and still have a great bat. All that it boils down to is the wood, and if the bat feels right in your hand.