Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Your Kit => Topic started by: tim2000s on April 05, 2012, 08:13:32 AM
-
Having owned a GN100, or Scoop as we affectionally know it, since just before Christmas, and taken rather longer than I would have liked to give it some knocking in (think 3 months to compelte an hour or so, probably due to having too many to do this to), I finally got it down to the nets last night to give it a try out against some real cricket balls.
Firstly the Scoop itself. It's a standard short handle weighing in at 2lb 9.8oz with 40mm edges. The pictures are below.
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040545.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040547.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040548.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040549.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040550.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040552.jpg)
(http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr293/tim2000s/P1040565.jpg)
But how well does it work? The older scoops, as noted by one of our older club members had a narrower, and in his opinion, deeper scoop, as per the original golf club inspired design. I had used a couple of these old school bats as I started to play cricket, and I don't know whether it was age or design, but I could never find the middle.
So moving forwards 40 odd years and we have the all new GN100, using modern pressing techniques and with minor variances from the original shape. I'd used it in the Batoff against a Bola, and while it was okay, there werecertainly better bats there, but then at that point it wasn't knocked in, so it felt a litttle premature to judge it.
Last night it was taken to the net and put into use. It's remarkable how people react to the Scoop, as loads of people look at it, coo over it and pick it up and wave it around. It still raises eyebrows and causes a level of excitement. Much like Mongeese and Jokers do... So on a Marketing level, the reintroduction was an inspired move by GN.
But what's more important is that it is a bat after all, and therefore you want to know how well it works and use it. Well, given its weight I pthink it picks up well, although I know that a number of people really don't like the pick up on these things. It does feel a bit odd standing in a net with a bat with no spine, but let's face it, you don't look at the back of the bat that much, and spend more time looking at the ball, so that's not really an issue.
In terms of performance, I was pleasantly suprised. It's not the best willow in the world, and it certainly isn't the best bat that I own, by quite some way (James Laver and Instinct still own that accolade, closely followed by Mongoose), but it isn't, per se a bad bat. One thing it most definitely has is a middle, which was a nice change compared to some of the old ones I've used in the past. Against the guys bowling nicely in the slot, it was very easy to hit them straight back over their heads, and I didn't need a lot of effort to hit the ball hard. It also felt like an easy bat to paddle the ball off the legs and on the onside with.
I'd say that this rethink of the Scoop is, all in all, a positive experience. I know that some don't like it, but I can understand why GN re-released it, and think they have done a good job. I suspect that with a further hour or so on the mallet, this will improve, as light seam marks were left on the face.
I'm not sure, for me at least, it is the best bat ever made, but I can imagine that all those who bought them will get plenty of productive use, and those who took advantage of that PDC offer got, in truth, a complete bargain.
-
the scoop i had wasnt knocked in but the middle flet as good as most bats! after all they are only G2
-
Simmy, I agree with you. I think they are as good as most bats and I don't think you would make a mistake in buying one. I also, based on using mine, don't think they are the best bats in the world and I've used far worse. All in all, for the price you pay, you get a decent bat that I think is an improvement on the original idea and is far better than the dreadful Scoop 2000.
GN have brought the Scoop properly back to life with this.
-
Tim - clearly we will see a few of them in first class cricket this year - here is one being used today:
(http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac151/buzzrockport/Jacques-Rudolph-of-Surrey-009.jpg)
-
Looks like he needs a long blade lol
-
For the money you pay, especially the PDC deal, these are fantastic value for money.
-
Isn't Zander de Bruyn using one as well? :)
-
Doesn't surprise me at all. I've seen the buzz that it generates at a club level. As good as the Mongoose that turned up from It's Just Cricket with our Club Coach yesterday night.
I still prefer the Dynadrive though.... 8)
-
Good thread. When I first took my Scoop out and took to the game nearly everyone held it and have swing with it.
I didn't knock mine but still it pinged well against real leather balls, however, seam marks appeared so I knocked it more and it is getting better.
One thing I have noted is that the pressing on Scoop compared to other Gray Nicolls bats is different as Scoopp is softer pressed.
-
if the scoop is pressed softer i dread to think how hard the other bats are.
my scoop was rock hard lol
-
(http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/142449694.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215AB089EE596C6588695EB1928EE32E8DA25CCCD60B0DABE338A7B0F943F14FDF)
de bruyn too
shame he's left Newbery
-
Also, Ben Brown will possibly use one in this game, having done so in pre season
-
([url]http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/142449694.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215AB089EE596C6588695EB1928EE32E8DA25CCCD60B0DABE338A7B0F943F14FDF[/url])
de bruyn too
shame he's left Newbery
..and Jimmy 'Carlsberg' Anyon has clearly just missed a ball he feels he should have fielded off his own bowling
-
i want that guys cam and lens lol
nikon d4 lol
-
I thought all GN's were pressed harder to make them "Ready to Play". I've seen some descriptions of "part knocked in" on retailers websites. That would tie in with my impression of the two GN bats Simmy had during the winter. My Scoop has performed better the more I've used it but it has picked up the odd seam mark.
-
Iconic absolutely Iconic
-
I thought all GN's were pressed harder to make them "Ready to Play". I've seen some descriptions of "part knocked in" on retailers websites. That would tie in with my impression of the two GN bats Simmy had during the winter. My Scoop has performed better the more I've used it but it has picked up the odd seam mark.
I had a good look at the holographic sticker on my Scoop and I was quite surprised to see that it isn't a "Gray Nicolls Pre-Prepared" sticker, as I have seen on other GN bats and actually says "Handcrafted by Gray Nicolls" or something similar, suggesting that all Scoops may not necessarily be PKI...
-
I had a good look at the holographic sticker on my Scoop and I was quite surprised to see that it isn't a "Gray Nicolls Pre-Prepared" sticker, as I have seen on other GN bats and actually says "Handcrafted by Gray Nicolls" or something similar, suggesting that all Scoops may not necessarily be PKI...
That was one of the first things i noticed on this, Scoop has one sticker which the genuine GN bat etc where as powerbow has 2 (1 is same as scoop and other is PKI)...scoops are not pre knocked, atleast not mine (PDC ones)
-
Not PKI.... Proper Old Skool!
-
my scoop doesn't have a sticker either but it would be in a terrible state if it hadn't been knocked in at all. I've only done an hour knocking in max. Looks like a knocked in bat to me.
-
When I knocked my Scoop indentation appeared right away while on custom oblivion and various other GN I had never got indentation no matter how hard you banged the mallet.
-
Zander De Bruyn is using a scoop in the Surrey vs. Sussex FC game.
http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/james-anyon-of-sussex-slips-after-bowling-as-zander-de-news-photo/142449694
http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/zander-de-bruyn-of-surrey-hits-out-during-the-lv-county-news-photo/142449648
Obviously no longer with Newbery either.
-
it's a doffierent thread I guess, but according both Willow Baron and Norbs, you shouldn't need much more than an hour with modern pressing techniques.
Having said that, on the shoulder where I hadn't hit the bat with the mallet, the seam mark is much deeper than on the main section of the blade where I only got light marks.
-
Having used the cats scoop in the nets, I absolutely loved it, it had a very light pickup and a fairly wide spread sweet spot which seems remarkable with all that wood removed..
-
Zander De Bruyn is using a scoop in the Surrey vs. Sussex FC game.
[url]http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/james-anyon-of-sussex-slips-after-bowling-as-zander-de-news-photo/142449694[/url]
[url]http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/zander-de-bruyn-of-surrey-hits-out-during-the-lv-county-news-photo/142449648[/url]
Obviously no longer with Newbery either.
didn't read the first page of the thread, Langer? ;~)
-
didn't read the first page of the thread, Langer? ;~)
Haha, I did not. My bad, lol.
-
Porterfield used one in the T20 world cup qualifiers so I guess he will use it in the championship aswell
-
My pressing comments were based on UK pressed bats from a few people, I wouldn't have a clue about GN today but the ones I saw being pressed a few years ago were simply all pressed the same.