Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Companies => Off-the-shelf companies => Slazenger => Topic started by: BD on June 13, 2016, 10:27:39 AM
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I guess I'm having a bit of a mid-life crisis and re-living my youth. The opportunity to get back to playing cricket has now come (after 15+ years away from the game) so I thought I'd take the opportunity to buy a bat or 2 or 3 ....... or 4 ..........
As an 9yr old budding cricketer back in the early 1980's I always loved Slazenger bats. Most kids had Gray Nicholls bats but I personally never liked them. My first bat - Size 6 was a full white polyarmoured 'Slazenger Colt' (I think that's what it was called.) which cost around $60NZD brand new. That was back when batsmen actually liked to get cherries all over their bats and with the bat being white it cherried up easily, providing of course I could hit the ball!
Then back 1983/84 when NZ toured England then a year later England toured NZ (were I grew up) I saw Allan Lamb smashing our bowling attack all over the park with his V12. From then on the V12 was the bat for me! A lot of our local senior cricketers used them and our town sports shop always had them in stock. Unfortunately $190.00 was a lot of money back then and was way out of my parents and my price range so I never got one. Years later and when I began working things changed and I was able to buy one. I had some great innings and scored a lot of runs using it. I guess a lot of it was mental but what ever it was it worked for me.
Then travel, marriage and children took over and cricket was given away along with all my gear...........until now, courtesy of Ebay and the internet........
It's funny, comparing the new V6 & V12 up against the older bats, the V12 second from the right still has the best middle out of all of them & that bats' gotta be at nearly 30yrs old!
(http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j376/BGD11/Image%2013-06-2016%20at%207.57%20pm_zpsy32cmfw9.jpg) (http://s1082.photobucket.com/user/BGD11/media/Image%2013-06-2016%20at%207.57%20pm_zpsy32cmfw9.jpg.html)
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Ahh the memories.
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My first every bat was a size 6 Slazenger V100
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Great story, great collection. I love the grip on that V500 brings back some great memories. Thanks
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My favourite bat growing up.
Was the slazenger v500 Alec Stewart was using.
I got a select model. As that's all I could afford with my dad's help.
It was a belter
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Slazenger..............on CBF!!!!??? Wow, you are brave!!! But honestly, I love their retro range.
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Brilliant! Love it
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The 2 bats on the left have a real hunts county feel to the shoulders.
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Good memories, and nice collection. You need a few more to complete it. Keep going :D
Must admit to having a soft spot for a nice retro Slazenger.
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Slazenger..............on CBF!!!!??? Wow, you are brave!!! But honestly, I love their retro range.
I know Slazenger get a bit of stick on the forum and to be honest when I went into my local sports shop to see what the current cricket bat market was like I really cringed. I cringed not only at the newer Slazenger range, which I thought & still do looked cheap and nasty but the way 'all' the branded bats seemed very similar in appearance but with different stickers. Gone are the days when bat makers had their own individual designs & you could tell you what type of bat it was even with the stickers removed.
I'm assuming it might be a little strange when the season kicks-off over here and while everyone shows off their latest and greatest $$$$$$ bat purchases - (40mm edges, heartwood down the outside edge, 3lb bat etc)...... I waltz out to the middle sporting my trusty 30 year-old retro V12............I guess though if I keep my head down and score some decent runs I'll be having the last laugh!!
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My mate has the new red v12 (3rd from the right) and he's hit some huge sixes with it. He can hit a decent ball but with the bat it seems so fly off.
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What a wonderful post. Really enjoyed reading that and seeing the pics. A lot history with that brand!
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Very nice collection .. Shows a lot of history associated with Slaz range. They have lost the market but i do hope they make a comeback ...
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Great post. I think it might be the typeface, but the v12's on the right just look wider and more substantial than the new sticks.
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Nice memories, where do you play?
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Nice memories, where do you play?
Grew up in NZ and did all of my formative playing there from early Saturday morning schoolboy stuff @ 10yrs old through to high school grade cricket. Took a couple of years off before getting back into it for a few seasons in my 20's @ senior level then moved abroad and now living in Australia. Season here will kick off in Sept/Oct so getting an early start with a few nets as I'm a little rusty.