Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: ItsJustCricket on February 02, 2012, 10:27:42 AM
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What do people make of Slazenger as a bat maker? I've never actually used one and probably never will (put off by the Sports Direct association) and I've heard some very negative reviews about the quality of their bats, yet they're everywhere, ever popular, especially with the kids and England tail enders! Apart from, perhaps, a larger marketing/sponsorship budget, what does Slazenger have that, say, Puma or Kookaburra don't?!
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Over-priced. Decent bats but if only the price was a little lower. Sondhi's Protos cost half and are equally good. I have a V200 which I like but got that on sale and would not have paid the regular amount to buy it to be honest.
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i used to use them all the time but changed when they moved the bat making from Barnsley to India. Before that they were all hand made by people like Eric Loxton.
Think they have down hill since.
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i remember my 1st slazenger!
V600 super test in a size 6,
i love that bat it was awsome came 2nd hand from warrior so no doubte a richard wensley 1
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what they have - and increasingly this is more what they had, past tense - was name recognition. To kids growing up in the 70s and 80s, they were the bats of Viv Richards, Allan Lamb, Mark Waugh and countless others, and so when Little Johnny went to buy a bat, given they were also good quality and relatively well priced, they often ended up with a Slazenger, from which brand loyalty was developed.
Now, Jacques Kallis apart, they really don't have many test players left, and the name value has eroded on the back of some pretty p155 poor Indian made blades. Never seen so many breakages as in Slazengers in the past five years...
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what they have - and increasingly this is more what they had, past tense - was name recognition. To kids growing up in the 70s and 80s, they were the bats of Viv Richards, Allan Lamb, Mark Waugh and countless others, and so when Little Johnny went to buy a bat, given they were also good quality and relatively well priced, they often ended up with a Slazenger, from which brand loyalty was developed.
Now, Jacques Kallis apart, they really don't have many test players left, and the name value has eroded on the back of some pretty p155 poor Indian made blades. Never seen so many breakages as in Slazengers in the past five years...
I dunno, they've got Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior. And Jimmy Anderson too, of course! :-)
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And Johnny Bairstow...
Chris Tremlett (!)
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I got a V2 Pro which I used in the nets last night - £200+ new price but I got it very lightly used for a hell of a discount! ;)
Because they are made in such high quantity I suspect there will be a wide mix of planks, half decent, decent, and superb bats!! I guess with that in mind, I'd see it as a gamble as to the quality you get. But in the case of the V2 bat, I already had a go so I knew it was an excellent bat!! :D
But I would not honestly buy from Internet blind as I'd see it as a gamble unless I know that they had been hand-picked for performance!
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I've been using an older pure blade (about 2.5 years old) and it certainly works. It is no worse than a couple of the GN and GM bats I've used and better than the kook ccx. I don't think they are bad bats.
Are you sure it isn't a V3 pete ;)
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what they have - and increasingly this is more what they had, past tense - was name recognition. To kids growing up in the 70s and 80s, they were the bats of Viv Richards, Allan Lamb, Mark Waugh and countless others
I'm sure Mark Waugh would be thrilled with that! But the point you are making is a good one :D I had bubble gear as a lad in honour of Graham Thorpe!
The last model of Slaz I had was a 2nd hand V800 which went very well. I can't comment on the newer models but in comparison to whats available from smaller bat-makers they seem very expensive
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Are you sure it isn't a V3 pete ;)
Was just trying to disguise the fact that it was from you fella! ;)
Or maybe that I was having a blonde moment! :( Yep - was the V3 Pro!!
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I dunno, they've got Eoin Morgan and Matt Prior. And Jimmy Anderson too, of course! :-)
isnt morgan with Kook now?
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isnt morgan with Kook now?
He went from Kook to Slaz
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And Johnny Bairstow...
Chris Tremlett (!)
We've not been fair on Tim Bresnan for overlooking him here - that's what happens when you're injured though, I guess! Really strong lineup of England players, all things considered. But then again, I'm sure some of these guys have a different bat maker and just put the Slazenger stickers on...
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Like has been mentioned, the reason people don't like Slaz bats is because of SportsDirect - it is the main brand they stock. If someone turns up at our club with Slazenger gear, no matter where they got it from, they'll get gypped big time; everyone saying it's £50 from SportsDirect.
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Like has been mentioned, the reason people don't like Slaz bats is because of SportsDirect - it is the main brand they stock. If someone turns up at our club with Slazenger gear, no matter where they got it from, they'll get gypped big time; everyone saying it's £50 from SportsDirect.
So what if it is. Pete's V3 is from Sports Direct, my remaining Slaz's are too, and I've kept the decent ones. £65-£90 for a bat that is average to decent is a decent price. Especially if the guy using it is a good bat....
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I know, it's just the general cheap and nasty image SportsDirect has, and now Slazenger is associated with that
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I know, it's just the general cheap and nasty image SportsDirect has, and now Slazenger is associated with that
Couldn't agree more - Sports Direct actually own Slazenger so I think this will remain the case for some time...