Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Sitonit on October 15, 2020, 04:16:24 AM
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I vividly remember it was a GM 404, with those classic sea green and navy blue stickers, (perhaps a Maestro?) purchased from a small shop in Peshawar. This was around 1979.
What yours?
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GN Scoop for me - around 1991 I would guess. Total plank - I couldn't get it off the square (maybe that was says more about me than the bat!)
:)
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I had a GN Warrior - the one with the two scoops out of the back - when I was a kid. I had some great bats as a kid. A GM Purist 606 that I used as a catching practice bat until a couple of years back because it was so pingy. A Kookaburra Blade Runner that was awesome but snapped in half when I played a forward defensive...
All the cool kids back then had Puma bats if I remember correctly. I wasn't that cool.
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Slazenger v500 classic, cheapest English Willow bat I could find
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First one I bought myself was a grade 3 from Pryzm. Cracking bat which I absolutely failed to look after properly and now lives in my cupboard.
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First bat I actually bought myself was an ACE grade two,,,,scored a lot of runs with that bat, before it finally snapped in half.
Unfortunately ACE had ceased trading by then, and I ordered a bat from laver and wood that was waaayyy too heavy,(first bat I really worked on to take the weight off),
I dread to think what I’ve spent since that 110 pound grade two bat from ACE
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first bat I ever bought myself was a Kookaburra Diablo LE at about 17/18, used it till it fell apart. first league 100 with it, was a weapon
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GN Ultimate in the mid-90s. I think its still knocking around somewhere in my dad's garage.
After that I had an excalibur, but then I lose track. Until I finally bought a new bat in 2011, I hadn't bought a bat for a decade. I know plenty of very decent older players who have never owned a single piece of cricket equipment.
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The first bat I bought myself was a Hunts County Reflex back in the 90's and cost about £50. It wasn't brilliant but was just ok, and lasted a number of years. It wasn't until years later that I realised my lack of runs was down to needing a new bat each season! ;)
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GN Ultimate in the mid-90s. I think its still knocking around somewhere in my dad's garage.
After that I had an excalibur, but then I lose track. Until I finally bought a new bat in 2011, I hadn't bought a bat for a decade. I know plenty of very decent older players who have never owned a single piece of cricket equipment.
My old man has had the same GN since about 1990, rough estimate is about 14 seasons worth of decent standard league cricket plus another 3 or 4 seasons of occasional friendly and lower league games. Still pings! He's also got a Slazenger kit bag that's 14 years older than I am and is still going strong somehow.
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Either a mega grainy Duncan Fernley from Lilleywhites before it became sports direct (it was an absolute plank) or a gun County Caerulex, which I still have.
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A £33.99 Kookaburra “binga” beast purchased from eBay. A wonderful piece of Grade 1++++ Kashmir willow with a black painted back. I didn’t have a clue what types of willow were nevermind the differences. It was one of the best bats I’ve ever had strangely, light with a wonderful pick up due to the usual subcontinent profile and surprisingly an oval handle now I think about it, didn’t have a clue back then.
It lasted a season and a half before a ball hit the one pin knot it had up at the splice and split it right down the middle in two.
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First bat i ever bought myself was a kookaburra bubble LE from romida when the bubble was first released.
My first proper bat was a Salix vantage when my dad took me to the factory as a 12yr old and had this for a few seasons
First bat i remember as a kid was a GN LARA SCOOP 2000 that had a polymer covering
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A GN Powerbow when I was about 15 years old inspired by Andrew Strauss. Bought from D&R sports which used to be a local cricket shop to myself, believe formally owned? or run? by Mr George Batty, father of Gareth and George.
Scored my only 2 tons with it but it has been retired for the last 8 years due to a broken handle, not used it since as didnt want to properly break it. Still have it, did a few refurbs on it myself but now only has a few of the original stickers left on it. Was never much of a looker, 5/6 grains on the uneven side, but it was one hell of a pinger despite its size in comparison to modern day bats.
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GN Ignite 5* (2011)
then 2 days later... GN Ignite Carbo as the Match bat (2011)
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Kind of my Dads purchase but the first bat I had from new - A GN Excalibur as a reward for doing well in my year 6 SATS. Wanted it because Atherton used one. Miles too big and heavy for me at the time but grew into it and scored my first mens 50 with it a few years later. Cant actually remember what happened to it......
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First bat I bought myself - £35 Newbery Mjolnir I took off David Masters - he'd just signed with Kent and could use a bat with a crack in the toe so sold it - it was an absolute cannon.
First bats I ever had were a DF Colt (absolute plank), followed by a a trip to Newbery in 1989 as a 10 year old, size 5 bat made by Tim Keeley and inspected by John Newbery as I left. Still got that bat somewhere.
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DF Extra Cover. What is noticeable compared to today's bats is how much higher density bats were then. The edges are tiny compared to a modern bat and it fits through the bat gauge with room for a second bat but it isn't any lighter than today's bats
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First I bought for myself was my 3rd bat, a Kookaburra Gold Crown, was a beauty.
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Mine was a Bernie Facer BB Baronet, 2'7, had the best shaped handle of any bat I've ever owned and picked up like a wand.
Still got it, middle still pings but the sweet spot isn't as big as on the bats I've owned since.
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GN 500 inspired by David Gower in the early 80's
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With my bat’s purchase, I also bought a pair SP mittens style batting gloves.
Looking at those BEAUTIFUL gloves and knowing that I own them was such a great joy that after 40 years it’s still fresh in my childhood memories.
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Slazenger V600 5 Star. 1998?
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Duncan Fearnley Polyflex plus Magnum wow what a brand
Also a Stuart Surrdidge Turbo covered in some white cloth material
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First bat I used was a GN Twin Scoop I borrowed from my uncle.
My first bat purchase was a Hunts County Mettle 5* :)
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Kookaburra ridgeback. Loved it
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Slazenger V500 Prodigy thinking Kashmir willow sounds posh.
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Oh my. I remember my kashmir willow RNS Larsons Super Six. Heavy lad but had some ping to it. Blue/White labeling. Liked it.
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GN Dynadrive for me....loved these bats when they first came out and had a couple more after (Yep, I'm old)
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MiDS and a GM.
The first bat I bought myself after a break not knowing too much about grading... low-grade Slazenger 1200... had a different shape...
this shape... http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=45913.0 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=45913.0)
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Mine was a Bernie Facer BB Baronet, 2'7, had the best shaped handle of any bat I've ever owned and picked up like a wand.
Still got it, middle still pings but the sweet spot isn't as big as on the bats I've owned since.
Got a few pics to share with us?
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I realise that my first bat was actually a GN Millenium... anybody remember these?
Also... interesting bats for sale here! https://www.uniquelysporting.com/gray-nicolls-cricket-bat-signed-autograph-scoop.php (https://www.uniquelysporting.com/gray-nicolls-cricket-bat-signed-autograph-scoop.php)
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The first bat I actually purchased was an absolutely dreadful GN from Intersport in Swindon (1994). Can't tell you the model but it was one of those bats with a white washed face.
I first it used in Thames Water 6-a-side competition and it was so dead, I couldn't actually reach the boundary with it. By the third match I borrowed someone else's bat with thankfully better results.
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From memory, it was a Duncan Fearnley Batwing - had quite a few from DF over the years but pretty sure that was first!
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Does anyone know what caused DF to lose their way? I had a few when I was younger but in the pre-internet days shops local to me stopped stocking then and I can't recall the last time I saw someone using one in a game
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Does anyone know what caused DF to lose their way? I had a few when I was younger but in the pre-internet days shops local to me stopped stocking then and I can't recall the last time I saw someone using one in a game
I guess they didn't evolve with the market to start over drying the willow and produce big edges and high profiles to make light weight monsters.
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Does anyone know what caused DF to lose their way? I had a few when I was younger but in the pre-internet days shops local to me stopped stocking then and I can't recall the last time I saw someone using one in a game
Stopped making them in Worcs, started selling a lot of poor quality imported crap quite frankly (I grew up in Worcester so was DF through and through). They changed hands at least once due to financial issues too.
That being said, they're now back making bats in Worcs and the quality of the kit in general has improved for sure - probably need to update their branding but things seem to be turning around gradually (I really do hope they do, would hate to see such a great brand go for good).
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I'd love to see some concepts of how to modernise the Duncan Fearnley branding. I'm not creative enough to even imagine it!
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My first bat was kookaburra bubble. I bought it after seeing Jayasuriya using it. I still remember how good it felt in my hands.
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My first bat for use with a hard ball was this Hunts County - a size 2. My dad's old DF Magnums in the background there, too. My bat journey took me to a Fearnley F2 size 4, a Hunts County Insignia both in size 6 and SH, and then a Kookaburra Bubble SH when I was about 15, with goodness knows how many since then. Maybe a couple more in between that I've forgotten, too.
(https://img.techpowerup.org/201115/YTNlMTY3MGVhMzFh.jpg)
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I'd love to see some concepts of how to modernise the Duncan Fearnley branding. I'm not creative enough to even imagine it!
I'd honestly love to be able to take a crack at it, myself and a deep pocketed friend had looked into buying the company a few years back but the asking price/logistical aspects weren't really feasible at the time.
Design wise I think it just needs simplifying, keep the main stumps logo but lose some of the other fluff. You still want the Fearnley heritage involved but ultimately marketed at the new generation, the brand will only be able to survive on previous reputation for so long (being blunt, nowadays the kids want shiny stuff not what dad/grandad used, however awesome the original designs were/are!).
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The first bat I ever owned was brought by my dad from Pakistan. He had little to no cricket knowledge, so I was a 12 year old using possibly a bat weighing 2.12! lol
It was a MIDS bat, cant remember the exact model name. But recall it been a pinger. Although at that weight, in hindsight, I am not surprised!
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Got a few pics to share with us?
Yeah sorry this took me a while but hope late is better than never :D
(https://i.postimg.cc/qzXRyq21/bb1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qzXRyq21)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5Xs2Kr7v/bb2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Xs2Kr7v)
(https://i.postimg.cc/06r2TCF4/bb3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/06r2TCF4)
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that is a thing of absolute beauty!!!
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Newbery series 1, M reg, so 1995, I would have been 11. Still have it, but no use now as its a kids bat.
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The first bat I actually purchased myself was a Hunts County Reflex. Cost about £50 and was fairly good at the time.
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The first bat I purchased was a Slazenger V99.9 select. I bought it with my first pay check. Still have it now