Cricket Bats for Beginners

Cricket is not merely sports in India it's a religion. There is no Indian kid who is not an expert cricketer, well at least, the kid himself think so. No kid has not dreamed of hitting a six or bowling out his opponent. So the champion cricketer of school or 'Mohalla' enjoys celebrity status and National team players are considered 'demigods'.

The Godly brilliance of Sachin Tendulkar, divine excellence of MS Dhoni or perfection of Virat Kohli  has increased the number of cricket crazy fans manifold.

The enthusiasm of cricket makes India the biggest market of cricket equipment, the most 
essential being Bat. Selection of a good cricket bat for a player is the most crucial aspect.

It is very important to be cautious about originality of bat. Sports is a very unregulated market in India and there is no control over marketing of fake brands. The small garage style manufacturers just paste stickers of iconic brands like Kookaburra, Gray Nicolls, GM, SG, SF, SS, Puma and cheat the gullible customers. 
The customer is not the end user in most of the cases, it is often a gift from Father or Grand Parents to their child. It is a grave sin to cheat with trust of an emotional customer. 
The manufacturer or seller who indulge in this practice for short term gain are not only vile cheats but an anti-national and must be severely punished. But sadly this fake business is going on unchecked and it becomes duty of every customer to be very cautious while buying the Bat or any sports product. My attempt through all my blogs is to suggest only Genuine products and if the re seller pushes fake through its online or offline channel proper reporting should be done.  

Types of Cricket Bats

Cricket is played with tennis ball, PU ball and leather ball also refereed to as season ball. Tennis and PU balls are used for casual cricket and can be played on any surface. But the serious cricket involves season ball and special 'pitch' and ground is required to play with season ball. Likewise, cricket bat is also different for different balls and are basically made of different woods.

The woods come from Willows which are deciduous trees found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of Northern Hemisphere. The bats are made of English Willow and Kashmir Willow and low grade wood known as Popular Willow. 

Popular Willow and low grade Kashmir willow are cheap bats used to play with tennis balls and PU balls. Leather balls are always played with English Willow and High Grade Kashmir Willow.

Cricket Bat Size

You can find the right cricket bat for you based on your height, age and requirements with information provided in this segment.

The typically available ranges for cricket bats are:

• Men’s/Adult Full size bats for Seniors 

• Juniors/Youth size bats for children

If you are younger than 14 years of age, a Youth bat between Size 1-6 is usually recommended.

For players above 5 7” in height, full size bats are recommended. Your height and reach will help you make the choice between short handle and long handle bats. While short handle bats are considered regular bats, players with an above average height or reach need long handle bats.

The size chart provided below will help you find an appropriate bat for your age and height:

Quality of Cricket Bats

Popular Willow 

Although cheap and meant for casual cricket, no one in this country takes his cricket casually. So even selection of Popular Willow is crucial and thorough inspection of its quality is must. 

Firstly the weight of the bat should be checked. The weight should not be too heavy or too light. Secondly thickness of the bat decides its strength. Thirdly its the handle, its better to have flexible cane handle then wooden fix handle.

Best bats in this category are:

1) AVM Splash 20-20 Popular Cricket Bat 

A well build bat meant to be played with tennis balls, It has very huge stroke and handle also very strong, Only cons is that bat is little bulky but it is comfortable for 18+ boys
It has very huge stroke and handle also very strong. a value for money bat under 500₹

2) Klapp popular Willow Size 7 Cricket Bat 

Good product for its price range of below 400₹

Kashmir Willow

As the name implies Kashmir Willow is made of wood from Kashmir. These come in different grades and higher grade bats can be used to play with Leather balls also. Kashmir willow are inferior quality bats to English Willow but are lot cheaper so a beginner should go for it for practice and training.  

Some of the good Kashmir Willow Bats are:

1)  Generic Light Weight Grade A Prime Kashmir Willow

It is better to select a genuine generic Kashmir Willow rather than go for a fake brand. 90% chances are that you will be cheated if you go for Branded Kashmir Willow like Kookaburra, Gray Nicolls or GM because most of them do not make low price Kashmir Willow bats

2) DSC Scorer Kashmir Willow Cricket Bat Short Handle

It is made from top quality Select Kashmir Willow and has 'cross wave' tape on edges for added protection DSC is a good brand to go for Kashmir Willow Bat.

3) New Balance DC 480 Cricket Bat

New Balance is another good brand with genuine product. Suitable for playing with leather ball for beginners but is best suited for tennis ball.


4) Spartan Kashmir Willow

This is a good brand..originally an Australian brand but now owned by Indian and based out of Jalandhar, Punjab. MS Dhoni is the brand ambassador and most of its bats are named MS Dhoni only,

English Willow

Guys its now time to get serious because dwelling in English Willow Bat is serious business. These bats are hand picked by experts and professional players and their performance depends upon the bat they select.

All English willow bats will cost 3000+ and the  best brands of English Willow bats are:

1.     Kookaburra Kahuna:

Kookaburra Kahuna deserve the first place among the top 10 best cricket bats list. Kahuna has been the leader of the Kookaburra bats. It’s an exceptional combination of power with light ‘pick up’, straight evenly spaced grains, and a clean hitting area generating maximum impact. An aggressive, powerful and accurately shaped bat for the stroke makers with edge thickness, sweet bow and perfect square face design.

Characteristics:

·         Made of the highest grade English willow.

Kookaburra Kahuna, Cricvision

·         HANDLE: 12 Piece Sarawak cane (round).

·         GRIP: ‘Max Trio’ Octopus Xtreme.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 7oz (1100 gms) to 3 lb 4oz (1475 gms).

·         SWEET SPOT: Mid Blade (approx 225mm from toe).

·         EDGE PROFILE: ‘Big Edge’ Square (36 – 41mm).

·         FACE PROFILE: Flat ‘Power Plus’ Face.

·         SPINE PROFILE: Pronounced from Handle to Toe (64 – 67mm).

·         SCALLOP: Slight Concave (4 – 5mm).

·         BOW: Mid / Low Blade (11 – 12mm).

·         SIZE: SH.

ENDORSED BY:

·         A B De Villiers.

·         Martin Guptill.

·         Ricky Ponting.

2.     Adidas Incurza:

Superbly crafted English willow bat, created to attack with strength, the bat has awesome profile flowing through to increased bow, increased middle, top class pick-up & balance with great edges.

Characteristics:

·         Sculptured shoulder.

·         Power available for every type of shot.

·         SWEET SPOT: Low powerful middle.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 7oz (1100 gms) to2 lb 12oz (1250 gms).

·         SIZES: SH and LB.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Kevin Pietersen.

·         Sachin Tendulkar.

·         Suresh Raina.

·         Ravindra Jadeja.

3.     Gray-Nicolls Viper:

Gray-Nicolls was the first cricket company to use colored bat labels. From the beginning Gray-Nicolls have manufactured cricket bats to the very highest quality with the use of latest bat technology. The maintained the perfect combination of Tradition with innovation to produce quality cricket equipment, which performs at every level. Every bat is made, hand finished and rigorously tested by their experts.

Characteristics:

·         World famous Gray Nicolls scoops.

·         Perfectly balanced Bat.

·         Lightweight pick up.

·         EDGE PROFILE: Thick

·         SWEET SPOT: Huge Mid Blade.

·         SPINE PROFILE: Steep.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Alastair Cook.

·         Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

·         David Warner.

·         Cameron White.

4.     GM Icon:

Gunn & Moore cricket bats are designed and produced from prime English Willow by their best craftsmen. The GM factory is the most technologically advanced in the world and only GM blends state of the art DXM technology with over 125 years of craft experience. They use the latest materials, technology, innovation and unrivalled design flair to produce the most advanced and comprehensive range of cricket equipment.

Characteristics:

·         Iconic design.

·         Made of the highest grade English willow.

·         High swell position.

·         Surprisingly light pick-up.

·         Lightweight design.

·         Concentrated Power.

·         EDGE PROFILE: Massive Edges (38 mm).

·         FACE PROFILE: Flatter Face.

·         SCALLOP: Super concave profile & Toe Up.

·         SIZE: SH and LB.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Shane Watson

·         Ross Taylor

·         Jonathan trot

·         Alex Hales

5.     SG Cobra Select:

‘Sanspareils Greenlands’ is India’s no.1 cricket gear brand and also world’s largest manufacturer of cricket gear. SG cricket gear is special because their R & D team always has a panel of well-known first-class and international cricketers, which provides them valuable feedback to update their gears accordingly.

 Characteristics:

·         Made of the highest quality English willow.

·         Traditionally shaped and styled for maximum stability while playing shots.

·         HANDLE: Made from premium, imported Sarawak cane to deliver superior power and control.

·         GRIP: New multi color Player grip for a superior sense of control.

·         SWEET SPOT: Lower mid Blade.

·         EDGE PROFILE: Thick edges and curved blade for balance and control.

·         Toe protector for better durability and maintaining the moisture level

·         Comes with a full length padded bat cover with adjustable strap.

·         SIZE: SH.

 ENDORSED BY:

·         Suresh Raina.

·         Rahul Dravid.

·         VVS laxman.

·         Wasim Jaffer.

6.     Puma Ballistic: 

The Puma Ballistic cricket bat is made of using the very best unbleached Grade one English willow. The willow has been specifically picked as per its weight, grain structure and performance. It has a higher, more powerful swell enhancing high speed hitting power with precision control and improved balanced pick up not sacrificing any high impact power hitting.

Characteristics:

·         The very best Grade 1 English willow.

·         High and powerful swell.

·         Massive hitting zone.

·         HANDLE: PUMA-specific cane handle for optimum comfort and a highly responsive feel.

·         GRIP: Unique multi-textured PUMA grip with new cosmetics ensures the best possible touch and control.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 6oz (1075 gms) to 2 lb 12oz (1250 gms).

·         Sophisticated blade profiling removes weight from the blade and ensures contoured edges remain as thick as possible.

·         Molded PUMA toe protector fitted as standard increases durability and reduces toe swell from moisture uptake.

·         SIZE: SH.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Brendan McCullum.

·         Yuvraj Singh.

·         Marlon Samuels.

·         Adam Gilchrist.

7.     SS Ton GLADIATOR:

Sunridges (SS) is one of the oldest cricket gear brands in India. Many international and domestic cricketers use this calculatedly titled SS Ton Gladiator due to its power, impact and balance.

 Characteristics:

·         SS Hand Selected Super Grade I English Willow.

·         11-13 Straight Grains.

·         Super Rebound Quality.

·         Rounded edges for the aggressive player.

·         HANDLE: 12 Piece Sarawak Combination Cane Handle for Shock Absorption and Power Hitting.

·         GRIP: Special Scale Grip for the Bat Handle- for control and comfort.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 9oz (1160 gms) to 2 lb 12oz (1230 gms).

·         SIZE: SH and LB.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Kieron Pollard.

·         Kumar Sangakara.

·         Shikhar Dhawan.

·         Dinesh Karthik.

8.     Kookaburra Angry Beast:

The Beast is one of Kookaburra’s premier bats. It holds the eighth place among the top 10 best cricket bats list. It’s made of the highest grade English willow which is naturally air dried after harvesting. It has amazingly light pickup on such a huge profile. The hand crafted design provides optimum power to pick up ratio. The Beast comes with the dynamic power shaped face that can deliver explosive stroke play.

 Characteristics:

Kookaburra Angry Beast, Cricvision

·         Grade One hand selected Unbleached English Willow.

·         HANDLE: 12 Piece Sarawak cane.

·         GRIP: Red Snake grip.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 8oz (1150 gms) to 2 lb 12oz (1250 gms).

·         SWEET SPOT: Mid Blade.

·         EDGE PROFILE: ‘Big Edge’ Square.

·         FACE PROFILE: Flat Face.

·         SCALLOP: Slight Concave.

·         BOW: Mid / Low Blade.

·         SIZE: SH and LB.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Brad Hodge.

·         Brad Haddin.

·         Simon Katich.

·         Matthew Wade.

9.     Reebok Blast:

Blast is one of the best bats in the collection of Reebok’s premium cricket bats. It’s made of the Grade I English willow which is the best in the business. It has a traditional heavy shaped look but amazingly light pickup. The bat is crafted by the expert designers of Reebok with the help of latest technology.

 Characteristics:

·         Made of the Grade I English willow.

·         Traditionally shaped and styled bat.

Reebok Blast, Cricvision

·         HANDLE: 9 Piece Sarawak cane for excellent shock absorption and performance.

·         GRIP: CHEVRON Grip.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 9oz (1150 gms) to 2 lb 13oz (1275 gms).

·         SWEET SPOT: Lower mid Blade.

·         EDGE PROFILE: Thick Edges.

·         Embossed Toe Protector for better durability.

·         Curved blade

·         SIZE: SH.

ENDORSED BY:

·         MS Dhoni.

·         Yuvraj Singh.

·         Gautam Gambhir.

·         Sanath Jayasuriya.

 10. Spartan CG Authority:

Finally Spartan CG Authority is the last in this top 10 best cricket bats list. Spartan CG is designed to handle explosive power of mighty stroke makers like Chris Gayle. The CG Authority is perfectly crafted according to modern power hitting game, featuring really thick edges and massive sweet spot.

 Characteristics:

Spartan CG Authority, Cricvision

·         Made of the Super Grade I English willow.

·         PROFILE: Mid profile with a full spine to ensure maximum edge thickness and
side profiling for destructive precision.

·         HANDLE: Round handle with 9 piece cane and rubber to delivers optimum
combination of power, control and flexibility.

·         WEIGHT: 2 lb 10oz (1200 gms) to 3 lb (1350 gms).

·         FACE: Flat Face with slight curvature to provide even distribution
across the face of the bat for accurate shot making.

·         BOW: Slight bow which generates perfectly balanced pick up to deliver
increased power.

·         TOE: Slightly square, designed to increase the hitting area, lowering the center of gravity of the bat to promote greater swing weight and power distribution.

·         SIZE: SH.

ENDORSED BY:

·         Chris Gayle.

·         Michael Clarke.

·         Matt Prior.

Credit: The part of article about best English Willow bats is sourced from http://www.cricvision.com/top-10-best-cricket-bats-world/