Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: leatherseat on July 27, 2018, 07:29:30 AM
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Hi All,
Apologies if this has been noted before, but I came across an interesting article about bat size being a psychological prop. It centres around a discussion with Chris King, head batmaker at Gray Nicolls. I assume many of the opinions/ facts come from Chris, but could be wrong on that point.
I found one section (below) of particular interest, suggesting that the knocking in process actually helps 'undo' the pressing (de-laminate), rather than my perception of knocking in increasing the pressing (ie knocking in compresses the fibres further, hence dents in the surface which eventually becomes the norm over the whole blade during the knocking in process) -
''...The process of pressing hasn't changed significantly. Modern bats are pressed just slightly less. As the bat is used, the fibres that have been pushed together begin to separate in a process called delamination. In the early stage of delamination the bat reaches its peak, when the ball will feel as though it is trampolining from the face. Cook and Ramprakash, the last generation to have grown up with their bats pressed slightly harder, still prefer to play a bat in themselves in the nets, where they feel the delamination begin. It's an unfamiliar concept now, when bats are effectively already beginning to delaminate before a ball has struck the face, and no longer need as much "knocking in"', the age-old job that used to start the process. ''
link to the full 2014 article here-
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/787773.html (http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/787773.html)
Next question - Do (pro) players or bat makers know best, what makes a better bat?
Current pro bats may be good for between 200- 1,000 runs, but presumably there is quite a lot of net practice with the same bats, to add to the 'workload' before the typical pro bat comes to the end of its useful life.
Lots of food for both thought and discussion.
David
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It is the lifespan of a modern bat that stands out the most for me. I was watching an interview recently with Mike Brearley and he spoke of an occasion when he lent his bat to Dennis Compton for a social fixture and being worried in case Compton damaged it as it was the only bat that he owned. I don't know many amateur batsmen who only have one bat, let alone a first class player.
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It is the lifespan of a modern bat that stands out the most for me. I was watching an interview recently with Mike Brearley and he spoke of an occasion when he lent his bat to Dennis Compton for a social fixture and being worried in case Compton damaged it as it was the only bat that he owned. I don't know many amateur batsmen who only have one bat, let alone a first class player.
I think that's the big factor in the difference between what a sponsored player will use and a random punter. If you're laying down cold hard cash for something like a bat, you don't want it to go pop within a few weeks. If you get supplied these bats for nothing, you want it to perform as well as possible and care not for the longevity of said blade. I always used to find that the knocking in process helped you get to know the foibles of your bat, but I must admit it's nice (especially for the wife and neighbours probably) to not have to spend too long doing it.
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Really hard question to answer how long a bat takes to reach peak performance but my guess even Keeley's take a while a couple of months maybe ??
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Bats actually made for Pros (and by that I mean the top level international players) are pressed differently. They ping from the get-go.
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Bats actually made for Pros (and by that I mean the top level international players) are pressed differently. They ping from the get-go.
I don’t believe this to be true. Happy to be proven wrong though.
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^ Lot of people don't but if you do get your hands on one of the "batch", you will see they are pressed differently.
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I have had the pleasure of holding and tapping up sarafaz ahmed's bat back in september when they were practicing for the srilanka test series in abu dhabi. And it was pretty clear his bats were unlike anything we see on the shelves. It was white as milk, had about 10 straight grains, spotless and the surface looked very dry and had semi-deep seam marks. The profile was very similar to the "kohli" shape and the bat pinged absolutely everywhere it was unreal. Food for thought...
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Smoke and mirrors
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^ Lot of people don't but if you do get your hands on one of the "batch", you will see they are pressed differently.
Agree certain manufacturers do press differently for there pros and some are open about it and will press the same for anyone if asked but the willow that' most batmakers put aside for there pros is different to what's offered to the public.
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I have had the pleasure of holding and tapping up sarafaz ahmed's bat back in september when they were practicing for the srilanka test series in abu dhabi. And it was pretty clear his bats were unlike anything we see on the shelves. It was white as milk, had about 10 straight grains, spotless and the surface looked very dry and had semi-deep seam marks. The profile was very similar to the "kohli" shape and the bat pinged absolutely everywhere it was unreal. Food for thought...
Is there a science to it- for selecting a cleft, pressing and manufacturing a pro-bat (when I say pro i mean big names) or is it just the gut feeling and experience of a bat maker. And when you say 'unlike anything we see on the shelves' does that mean G1+, pro edition, player's grade, limited edition are all rubbish.
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Although obviously I have no proof of this I can promise that my match bat which was never marked as a pro bat pings better than most of the pros match bats I’ve seen
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So how are they pressed and if that presiding came to the recreational level what effect would it have on the bat In terms.of the poorer quality league balls which are not bat brekaers but are harder and have a this lacquer on and make a more cheaper sound when it comes off the bat
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Any good batmaker will press every bat to get the best out of it
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If it's Just pressing, why won't a bat maker press each bat with same precision. I do not think it costs extra money or time.
And as I understand major bat makers buys different clefts for their star-sponsored players.
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So how are they pressed and if that presiding came to the recreational level what effect would it have on the bat In terms.of the poorer quality league balls which are not bat brekaers but are harder and have a this lacquer on and make a more cheaper sound when it comes off the bat
at recreational level when pressing
Bat makers have warranties to consider
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The balls surely have to have something to do with it. An 11 league ball would damage an expensive bat, a test or county quality ball would cost....40 maybe, or 50.
I don't know for sure but a higher quality ball you would think is softer.
If you look on some manufacturers websites they do mention cheap balls and high grade bats don't mix.
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Quality of Ball, I can understand it a controllable factor.
Saw this a long time back :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHz4sdGryOQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHz4sdGryOQ)
Where Gayle is suggesting a harder pressed bat gives better ping.
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My understanding is that if you used a blade that hasn't been pressed at all, the wood would be so soft that it would simply absorb the impact of the ball and put a dent in the bat. The blade needs to be pressed to a point where the face is hard enough to rebound the force the ball has been delivered with rather than absorb it, but not so hard that the wood loses its springy quality that transfers power to hit the ball in the direction the bat is travelling. However, at this optimum point of performance, the bat is still soft enough to be at a high risk of damage so the bat has a limited lifespan. What would be an acceptable lifespan for a pro who gets the bats for free wouldn't be acceptable to an amateur who has to pay for each bat so bats on the retail market are pressed beyond their optimum performance point in order to prolong their life. As such, the skill of the bat maker is to strike an optimum balance between performance and longevity.
From experience I certainly feel that a bat can be under pressed so that it doesn't ping well. For example, I purchase a B3 at the start of the year that is so soft that even after hours with a mallet and even more time with the bowling machine, it has a spongy quality that absorbs a lot of the impact from the ball and generates little power. In this case, I have a £365 bat that neither pings nor is it likely to have much of a lifespan
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Some manufacturers definitely press differently (softer) for pro bats (just look @sarg review of the bradbury he had in a while back ....customer asked for it to be pressed just like it would be for a sponsored pro).....this is proof to anyone whomay say pro pressing never happens/is a myth).
I think all manufacturers have their own ideas , it varies . Some will pressapro bat a lot softer , some believe if they try to press each bat for optimum performance then they don't need to try to differentiate between pro and amateur pressing. Then on top of this , players have their own requests and requirements too.
I have come across a fair few probats that felt like they were unicorns , like nothing you'd see in a shop. That was down to pressing , at least to a degree , but I'm sure the cleft selection had something to do with it aswell.
Ultimately bats are made from natural materials and mysterious things can happen ......theres always the chance of a pro getting a dud once a blue moon , and theres always a chance of us clubbies getting a pro performing bat off the shelf/ from a batmaker too.
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Some manufacturers definitely press differently (softer) for pro bats (just look @sarg review of the bradbury he had in a while back ....customer asked for it to be pressed just like it would be for a sponsored pro).....this is proof to anyone whomay say pro pressing never happens/is a myth).
I think all manufacturers have their own ideas , it varies . Some will pressapro bat a lot softer , some believe if they try to press each bat for optimum performance then they don't need to try to differentiate between pro and amateur pressing. Then on top of this , players have their own requests and requirements too.
I have come across a fair few probats that felt like they were unicorns , like nothing you'd see in a shop. That was down to pressing , at least to a degree , but I'm sure the cleft selection had something to do with it aswell.
Ultimately bats are made from natural materials and mysterious things can happen ......theres always the chance of a pro getting a dud once a blue moon , and theres always a chance of us clubbies getting a pro performing bat off the shelf/ from a batmaker too.
I just take a good look at my bat after a net session and realise a bat pressed soft would crack in my hands as i dont middle the ball with any consistence and i’m not going to spend 1000’s of hours in my 40s trying to improve that. a soft press is not for me. a decent pinging bit of willow pressed and prepared properly is what i need.
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Is there a science to it- for selecting a cleft, pressing and manufacturing a pro-bat (when I say pro i mean big names) or is it just the gut feeling and experience of a bat maker. And when you say 'unlike anything we see on the shelves' does that mean G1+, pro edition, player's grade, limited edition are all rubbish.
I would say yes its all rubbish.
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Some manufacturers definitely press differently (softer) for pro bats (just look @sarg review of the bradbury he had in a while back ....customer asked for it to be pressed just like it would be for a sponsored pro).....this is proof to anyone whomay say pro pressing never happens/is a myth).
I think all manufacturers have their own ideas , it varies . Some will pressapro bat a lot softer , some believe if they try to press each bat for optimum performance then they don't need to try to differentiate between pro and amateur pressing. Then on top of this , players have their own requests and requirements too.
I have come across a fair few probats that felt like they were unicorns , like nothing you'd see in a shop. That was down to pressing , at least to a degree , but I'm sure the cleft selection had something to do with it aswell.
Ultimately bats are made from natural materials and mysterious things can happen ......theres always the chance of a pro getting a dud once a blue moon , and theres always a chance of us clubbies getting a pro performing bat off the shelf/ from a batmaker too.
like hitman bats?
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Some manufacturers definitely press differently (softer) for pro bats (just look @sarg review of the bradbury he had in a while back ....customer asked for it to be pressed just like it would be for a sponsored pro).....this is proof to anyone whomay say pro pressing never happens/is a myth).
I think all manufacturers have their own ideas , it varies . Some will pressapro bat a lot softer , some believe if they try to press each bat for optimum performance then they don't need to try to differentiate between pro and amateur pressing. Then on top of this , players have their own requests and requirements too.
I have come across a fair few probats that felt like they were unicorns , like nothing you'd see in a shop. That was down to pressing , at least to a degree , but I'm sure the cleft selection had something to do with it aswell.
Ultimately bats are made from natural materials and mysterious things can happen ......theres always the chance of a pro getting a dud once a blue moon , and theres always a chance of us clubbies getting a pro performing bat off the shelf/ from a batmaker too.
Perfectly true also with regard to cleft selection the lightest of the light natural best performing clefts are skimmed off for the pros you won't see any bats made from this willow in the shops or available to the public.
Totally different from the over dried willow baked as we know a process which gets the weight down and gives you a big bat but it will be dry due to the willow losing its fibrous integrity you can make a light bat from an heavy cleft but it won't last long.
This is why most bats available to the public have around 11 percent moisture allowing the cleft to retain its fibrous integrity but this means weight but the bat is more likely to last past the batmakers warranty.
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Perfectly true also with regard to cleft selection the lightest of the light natural best performing clefts are skimmed off for the pros you won't see any bats made from this willow in the shops or available to the public.
And, we are the ones who pay top dollar for the SECOND BEST (or worse) clefts/bats!! This is so unfair...very dishonest business practices. We are being scammed when those million dollar making pros should be paying thru their noses for those bats like average-joe cricketers. @$%holes!!!
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It feels like a lot of speculation on this thread. Perhaps we should ask an actual batmaker to ‘come out of the woodwork ‘ (ahahahahahahah!!)
@Hoover
@thebigginge
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Hi All,
Apologies if this has been noted before, but I came across an interesting article about bat size being a psychological prop. It centres around a discussion with Chris King, head batmaker at Gray Nicolls. I assume many of the opinions/ facts come from Chris, but could be wrong on that point.
I found one section (below) of particular interest, suggesting that the knocking in process actually helps 'undo' the pressing (de-laminate), rather than my perception of knocking in increasing the pressing (ie knocking in compresses the fibres further, hence dents in the surface which eventually becomes the norm over the whole blade during the knocking in process) -
''...The process of pressing hasn't changed significantly. Modern bats are pressed just slightly less. As the bat is used, the fibres that have been pushed together begin to separate in a process called delamination. In the early stage of delamination the bat reaches its peak, when the ball will feel as though it is trampolining from the face. Cook and Ramprakash, the last generation to have grown up with their bats pressed slightly harder, still prefer to play a bat in themselves in the nets, where they feel the delamination begin. It's an unfamiliar concept now, when bats are effectively already beginning to delaminate before a ball has struck the face, and no longer need as much "knocking in"', the age-old job that used to start the process. ''
link to the full 2014 article here-
[url]http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/787773.html[/url] ([url]http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/787773.html[/url])
Next question - Do (pro) players or bat makers know best, what makes a better bat?
Current pro bats may be good for between 200- 1,000 runs, but presumably there is quite a lot of net practice with the same bats, to add to the 'workload' before the typical pro bat comes to the end of its useful life.
Lots of food for both thought and discussion.
David
What absolute bull!!! If knocking in undid the pressing process then why would anyone press a bat in the first place. Frustrates the hell out of me that there is so much guff in the cricket industry. Also the fact that you are compressing the bat (which is what pressing does also) means that it clearly is doing the exact same thing! Absolute crap!
Pros get the best of the best. Having used a couple of pro bats, they are special, are they better performing that’ll anything else out there? No. Are they bigger? Yes. Do they have a larger hitting zone? Yes. They are fantastic bats but if you buy a good off the shelf bat they are also good bats. Cricket bats are very simple; either they go or they don’t, generally the difference is the pro using said bat middles everything and times the pants off of it
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It’s all just absolute guff that’s trying to fool people into not knocking a bat and voiding the warranty
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It’s all just absolute guff that’s trying to fool people into not knocking a bat and voiding the warranty
Why do u think all pakistani bats have those "fully knocked" and "ready to play" stickers on them?
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I imagine it’s to make the deal look better as knocking in costs an extra £30.
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I. Think the article is saying generally modern bats don't need as much knocking in to bring them to their trampoline effect as they are pressed in such a way that the bat fibres are pushed together and the bats are close to there peak and the bat fibres will begin to separate before a ball hits the bat where as bats used to be pressed in a way that required knocking in playing in to compress the blade fibres prior to delamination beginning
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I. Think the article is saying generally modern bats don't need as much knocking in to bring them to their trampoline effect as they are pressed in such a way that the bat fibres are pushed together and the bats are close to there peak and the bat fibres will begin to separate before a ball hits the bat where as bats used to be pressed in a way that required knocking in playing in to compress the blade fibres prior to delamination beginning
and thats still a load of guff...if anything bats nowadays require more knocking in because they are softly pressed because many people don't understand the concept of pressed to perform and everyone asks for a "SOFT" bat.
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It seems unlikely that any pro, handed 5 bats or whatever for free, would have the time or the inclination to knock them all in. So - in my opinion - it's safe to assume that they 'ping from the get-go'. For the rest of us, the main questions are how much time do I have spare for knocking in, and how long do I want a bat to last for? For me personally, I have no time for knocking in, never have. I am happy to get a new bat settled in nets, with used balls. Seems to work OK. But then, I'm not at all concerned about dents and cracks on the face and edges, for me these are badges of honour. I like my bat to look worn, I like marks, I like adding a bit of tape. I like a bat that I can study after a long inning and remember how certain marks were made. I also strongly believe that a worn, cracked bat is better for taking the shine off the ball, which is my job after all.
The only exception I make at first is the toe. I do knock the toe in for a few minutes, hitting hard with a mallet. Digging out pacey, new ball yorkers is a bat breaker, so worth trying to guard against. But you know, stuff happens, and if I need to buy or make a new bat each year, that's fine with me.
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Pros have the benefit of hours with of throw down and net practice a week in which they can play in new bats so could achieve in under a week what could take me months with a mallet in my free time. I have never had a bat across all grades and all manufacturers that performed at its based straight out of the box
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and thats still a load of guff...if anything bats nowadays require more knocking in because they are softly pressed because many people don't understand the concept of pressed to perform and everyone asks for a "SOFT" bat.
Or maybe softer pressed so that bat fibres uncurl quicker allowing a faster trampoline effect.
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Quick question there is something I read about grains Vs more grains
True or false 5 grains bat is a younger bat then a 12 grain bat ?
I think that's true ?
How does that effect the bat ? If at all ? Does a younger bat take longer to open up ?
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True the less grains there is the younger the tree generally the fewer the grains the longer the bat takes to reach its potential
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Or maybe softer pressed so that bat fibres uncurl quicker allowing a faster trampoline effect.
That just isn’t what happens, if you’ve ever had an under pressed bat, you’d quickly realise this is BS. If a bat is under pressed it does not perform. Simple as. Nothing about the fibres uncurling allowing faster response thats utter tosh.
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Explains a lot about my tKs they are fairly young
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Quick question there is something I read about grains Vs more grains
True or false 5 grains bat is a younger bat then a 12 grain bat ?
I think that's true ?
How does that effect the bat ? If at all ? Does a younger bat take longer to open up ?
The 5 grains on a 5 grain bat are the same age as the 5 grains on one side of a 12 grain bat. This is easiest to understand if the 12 grain bat has heartwood along one edge. In that case, the 'red' edge is the older wood, from closer to the centre of the tree. The 5 grains that count in from the 'white' edge - the sapwood - are the 5 years of most recent growth. So, the average age of the wood of a 5 grain bat is less than the average age of the wood of a 12 grain bat. But the outside 5 grains are the same age.
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True the less grains there is the younger the tree generally the fewer the grains the longer the bat takes to reach its potenial
E ach grain represents a year of growth. If a bat has 5 grains - the wood has grown more quickly than a blade say 15 grains.
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The 5 grains on a 5 grain bat are the same age as the 5 grains on one side of a 12 grain bat. This is easiest to understand if the 12 grain bat has heartwood along one edge. In that case, the 'red' edge is the older wood, from closer to the centre of the tree. The 5 grains that count in from the 'white' edge - the sapwood - are the 5 years of most recent growth. So, the average age of the wood of a 5 grain bat is less than the average age of the wood of a 12 grain bat. But the outside 5 grains are the same
Great explanation.
I always knew a bat that has twelve grains is twelve years old and older than a 5 grain/5 year old bat . I know red wood is older wood , closer to the centre . I know that on a 5 grain bat those grains have grown quicker than that on a 12 grain bat .
Yet , i was overlooking the simple extension of this logic .....not all the bat is the same age . A 12 grain bat with heartwood would have 2 edges that are substantially different in age . Cant believe i never thought of it that way before.
I'm not stupid (i promise) but sometimes my brain overlooks some obvious , logical things.
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That just isn’t what happens, if you’ve ever had an under pressed bat, you’d quickly realise this is BS. If a bat is under pressed it does not perform. Simple as. Nothing about the fibres uncurling allowing faster response thats utter tosh.
Yes if it's underpressed what the article is stating is you no longer need to bring modern bats to there peak in the nets like Cook does and feel the bat fibres uncurl ( delaminate).
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Great explanation.
I always knew a bat that has twelve grains is twelve years old and older than a 5 grain/5 year old bat . I know red wood is older wood , closer to the centre . I know that on a 5 grain bat those grains have grown quicker than that on a 12 grain bat .
Yet , i was overlooking the simple extension of this logic .....not all the bat is the same age . A 12 grain bat with heartwood would have 2 edges that are substantially different in age . Cant believe i never thought of it that way before.
I'm not stupid (i promise) but sometimes my brain overlooks some obvious , logical things.
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Mate you're not stupid at all! It's just important to think of a tree growing in increasingly wider circles, rather than thinking of a bat face as a 2 dimensional space.
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2 edges different in age where's there pink Sapwood ( heartwood ) never thought to discribe it like that or heard it discribed that way
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It is the lifespan of a modern bat that stands out the most for me. I was watching an interview recently with Mike Brearley and he spoke of an occasion when he lent his bat to Dennis Compton for a social fixture and being worried in case Compton damaged it as it was the only bat that he owned. I don't know many amateur batsmen who only have one bat, let alone a first class player.
Really? I don't know anyone who has more than 1 bat, unless the 2nd one is a £20 job from sports direct that they just keep in the garage to play with the kids. But on the other hand, I know lots of cricketers who don't own a bat but just use the club bat.
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I don't know any clubs that have club bats
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I can't remember my Club having senior club bats. We used to have them for junior players, but donated most of them to the Lord's Taverners as they were unused as all the kids were turning up with their own kit as soon as they progressed to hard ball cricket. Now it is only the blue plastic bats for the very young kids that we have.
At senior level the most bats I have seen one player turn up to a game with is the 5 that our opening bowler was hauling around in his kit bag at one time but most of the batsmen will carry one spare to games
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2 edges different in age where's there pink Sapwood ( heartwood ) never thought to discribe it like that or heard it discribed that way
The edges are different ages in all bats, not just where there is heartwood. It's just easier to explain when you can distinguish which is the older edge and which is the younger.
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Not a top quality drawing :) , but the best way I can represent this at short notice. Clefts cut from faster growing trees have fewer grains, and those cut from slower growing trees have more grains. But, the actual ages of the outside grains on all trees are the same.
(https://s33.postimg.cc/l1lwvngtb/rings.jpg)
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Thanks that is very helpful.
Since we are on this topic, why is it that people always look for 'grains running straight through the toe'? What does that imply?
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Thanks that is very helpful.
Since we are on this topic, why is it that people always look for 'grains running straight through the toe'? What does that imply?
I think that the feeling generally is that there is strength in straightness. To get straight grains through the bat, across the width of the bat from face to back, the tree has to have reached a level of maturity. However quickly or slowly it has grown, it must have reached a circumference of at least 52-54 inches (around 140cm). If the grains curve from the face to back of the bat, then the cleft has either been cut from an immature tree, or has simply been incorrectly cut.
If you look at my drawings again, imagine the clefts I've drawn in red being positioned to the left of the position I've shown, closer to the core of the tree. In that case, the rings of the tree are much tighter, which would mean the grains on the bat curving from face to back. The core of the tree, known as the pith, is definitely to be avoided for batmaking, as it might literally fall out. Alternatively, imagine the clefts I have drawn being turned clockwise through 45 degress. Again, the grains would curve from face to back, this time because the cleft was cut incorrectly.
So, straight grain from face to back is a good indicator of a tree grown to maturity, gives security (to some extent) that the willow is OK and that whoever cut the cleft knows what they are doing.
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Usually indicates top end bat If the grains at he shoulder through the toe front and back of the bat plus profiles are the same .
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Really? I don't know anyone who has more than 1 bat, unless the 2nd one is a £20 job from sports direct that they just keep in the garage to play with the kids. But on the other hand, I know lots of cricketers who don't own a bat but just use the club bat.
I don't know of any clubs with any SH club bats.
In fact I don't know anyone who plays, even sporadically, wgot doesn't own all their own kit. I do know loads of cricketers who own and carry multiple bats though, so I assume that's the norm
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Really? I don't know anyone who has more than 1 bat, unless the 2nd one is a £20 job from sports direct that they just keep in the garage to play with the kids. But on the other hand, I know lots of cricketers who don't own a bat but just use the club bat.
SLA is playing a different game to the rest of us again?
Of the 11 that I played with on Saturday... 9 had at least two bats in their bag!
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I don't know of any clubs with any SH club bats.
In fact I don't know anyone who plays, even sporadically, wgot doesn't own all their own kit. I do know loads of cricketers who own and carry multiple bats though, so I assume that's the norm
Either you don't know many cricketers, or the area you live in is incredibly rich. Do you also not know anyone who doesn't own multiple porsches?
Do all you guys live in Surrey and earn 6 figures salaries or something? The rest of the country is not like that. A lot of people simply cannot afford to own their own cricket kit, let alone buy multiple bats all of which cost three figure sums.
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We have had a t20 midweek team spend £500 on two bats for there team and another club spent £270 on a bat, and then bought a set of pads and 3 pairs of gloves for there team kit.
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We have had a t20 midweek team spend £500 on two bats for there team and another club spent £270 on a bat, and then bought a set of pads and 3 pairs of gloves for there team kit.
lol. Our annual club equipment budget is £200. £80 is about the budget for a new bat - for which you can quite often get something decent in September/October.
This forum is genuinely like visiting a yachting forum where none of the members can conceive how anyone could possibly not own a superyacht. "Surely most people own at least 2 superyachts? I think that poster that claims that there are people who hire boats for the afternoon must be making it up"
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Either you don't know many cricketers, or the area you live in is incredibly rich. Do you also not know anyone who doesn't own multiple porsches?
Do all you guys live in Surrey and earn 6 figures salaries or something? The rest of the country is not like that. A lot of people simply cannot afford to own their own cricket kit, let alone buy multiple bats all of which cost three figure sums.
Broken Britain it might be, but regardless of the sport, most people have the available cash to spend 100-150 on equipment, especially if it's accumulated over 5-6 years.
I grew up playing in what is likely one of the lower income areas in the Uk, and none of the league sides I played forever had any sort of club kit. There may have been the odd occasion someone struggled to pay fees or buy their own gear, but in those cases, someone on the board would have a quiet word and sort out a solution that suited all and in the case of gear something would always be found.
I struggle to believe that even in the poorest areas of the Uk there still exist league sides that rely predominantly on a club kit.
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Either you don't know many cricketers, or the area you live in is incredibly rich. Do you also not know anyone who doesn't own multiple porsches?
Do all you guys live in Surrey and earn 6 figures salaries or something? The rest of the country is not like that. A lot of people simply cannot afford to own their own cricket kit, let alone buy multiple bats all of which cost three figure sums.
Yeah, I play for a club who regularly puts out 55 players on a Saturday. Having played a few years now I'm on pretty good terms with people from numerous oppositions too, but you're right, I don't know many cricketers at all...
As for owning multiple Porsche's, I don't know anyone who even owns one! I think people have moved on to Range Rovers now ;)
And I don't live in Surrey, or earn anything like a 6 figure salary. How do I sign up for that?
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Broken Britain it might be, but regardless of the sport, most people have the available cash to spend 100-150 on equipment, especially if it's accumulated over 5-6 years.
I grew up playing in what is likely one of the lower income areas in the Uk, and none of the league sides I played forever had any sort of club kit. There may have been the odd occasion someone struggled to pay fees or buy their own gear, but in those cases, someone on the board would have a quiet word and sort out a solution that suited all and in the case of gear something would always be found.
I struggle to believe that even in the poorest areas of the Uk there still exist league sides that rely predominantly on a club kit.
oh, well, there are, plenty of them, and not in the poorest areas, either. I live in one of the richer areas of the UK, and every club turns up with a big kit bag. Maybe ~50% of players bring their own kit for a midweek game. Most come straight from work. Very few teenagers own their own kit unless they're the over-privileged private school types.
I bought a new bat this year, but before that the last time I owned a bat was 2015. In the mean time, I scored over 1000 runs with a variety of cheap club bats. This is by no means unusual. My first 50 this year was with a club bat as I didn't want to put my bat into the hold in case it got damaged.
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oh, well, there are, plenty of them, and not in the poorest areas, either. I live in one of the richer areas of the UK, and every club turns up with a big kit bag. Maybe ~50% of players bring their own kit for a midweek game. Most come straight from work. Very few teenagers own their own kit unless they're the over-privileged private school types.
I bought a new bat this year, but before that the last time I owned a bat was 2015. In the mean time, I scored over 1000 runs with a variety of cheap club bats. This is by no means unusual. My first 50 this year was with a club bat as I didn't want to put my bat into the hold in case it got damaged.
Are we talking midweek social team cricket rather than league cricket here? Not something I have played much of but I imagine with something like LMS there is maybe more chance people don't have all their own kit.
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Are we talking midweek social team cricket rather than league cricket here? Not something I have played much of but I imagine with something like LMS there is maybe more chance people don't have all their own kit.
Both. Most people I know play a bit of both.
LMS doesn't exist in this part of the country. I'm amazed it exists anywhere, the rules are so stupid.
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Club kit bags used to be the norm every club had one but not now haven't seen one in the last 20 years it's not money regular players for many reasons prefer to use there own kit
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One of my "intermediaries" i.e. procurer of top bats for me made a comment that he doesn't like to knock bats either and just tells his players to use them straight away. It made sense with the bats he sells, the one I used required little to no knocking and was ready for sixes in game one.