Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: billyb on March 20, 2023, 12:33:00 PM
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I have a classic forum thread that is doomed to strong opinions and the forum intelligentsia that says that you can't go wrong with any of them...
I'm in hospital at the moment (long story) and will be for some time, which has given me far too much time to think.
If you could buy any of the following bats in the same price range from the pre-eminent brands at the moment... Who would you go with and why?
B3 Cricket Elite Plus Bat (G1) - £490
H4L Pro Cricket Bat (G1+?) - £495
Keeley Worx Bat (G1) - £535
WCW Players (G1?) - £490
I quite like the B3 or H4L options.
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From that selection (pre-eminent or not), H4L for me probably. Matt is a good bloke and makes as good as bat as any other on that list imo. I like their branding too and he has access to a lot of willow. He'd be then one I'd support.
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H4L probably for me as well. I do like a nice Keeley but I'm not a good enough batsman to use mostly the middle and H4Ls I've had always seem a bit more durable in the edges and shoulders.
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H4L for me - Always liked their branding and they on the forum. :D
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I’ve used all 4 brands and it’s entirely personal taste and luck of the cleft but WCW for me… I’ve netted with one of their SBLH all winter and it’s outrageously good.
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Keeley for me. Top performance straight out the box and I really like the handles aswell
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H4L although I seem to be in the minority in that I really don't like the branding
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H4L for me but I do have 2 pro grade bats so but biased
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H4L are great but the handles too thin for me, similar to most Keeleys. B3 I've had and held very nice bats from so it'd have to be them as I've never even seen a WCW!
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H4L and Keeley handles are a nice shape but definitely pretty anemic. Thick double binding though and they're pretty good.
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H4L are great but the handles too thin for me, similar to most Keeleys. B3 I've had and held very nice bats from so it'd have to be them as I've never even seen a WCW!
B3 defo up there with the thickest handles on the market. Helps to balance the bats out in terms of pickup even it the scales do look an ounce or 2 heavier than the deadweight feel.
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Having used 2/4 (H4L/TK) on that list for a fair few seasons and still playing in a WCW copy of my screaming cat it's a really tough choice.
Given i've got stock of B3, H4L and TK (for @The Cricket Boutique) the grading across them can vary quite a bit in terms of looks that represent a G1 or G2 bat comapred to other brands. They are defo the cream of the UK bat making crop IMO and Mike @ WCW has fast tracked himself with the brand massively since he started a relatively short time ago.
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B3 defo up there with the thickest handles on the market. Helps to balance the bats out in terms of pickup even it the scales do look an ounce or 2 heavier than the deadweight feel.
Yeah, I agree. B3 would be my choice of those options purely based on the handles. Outside of that list, I love what Paul Aldred does, the only bat I have had that I haven't had to mess around with the handle thickness and shape tbh.
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Its a tough one though as hadnle thickness all comes down to the hand size of the perspective customer. A thicker handle means more weight on the scales where people are more focused on the edge/spine size nowadays it seems.
Then you get the classic...I need soemthing lightweight, 2.8-9 kind of thing as 2.10-11 is just too heavy for me. Right all sorted perfect at 2.8.5 on the scales picks-up lovely.
Oh and can you stick a second grip on for me...2.11!
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Its a tough one though as hadnle thickness all comes down to the hand size of the perspective customer. A thicker handle means more weight on the scales where people are more focused on the edge/spine size nowadays it seems.
Then you get the classic...I need soemthing lightweight, 2.8-9 kind of thing as 2.10-11 is just too heavy for me. Right all sorted perfect at 2.8.5 on the scales picks-up lovely.
Oh and can you stick a second grip on for me...2.11!
True, and I am very guilty of this. When I went to see Paul he was very honest about me doing this as well, haha. I've always gone for bats that are no heaver than 2.9, but I've come away with something that is 2.13 with a lovely thick handle and amazing pick up. I've been doing it wrong all these years, haha.
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You're not alone. I've lost count on the number of Pros who claim they are using a 2.8/9 but it then has 3 grips on it.
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If I had to from that list would be a Keeley all day. B3 offer great choice and arguably the best custom options available but the few of had and seen the finishing is shocking for the price. Can’t comment really on the others as been 10years since I last used a H4L and never a WCW. However if I was shopping in that price range there would be at least 3 I would pick over all of those brands from a personal perspective.
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Yeah, I agree. B3 would be my choice of those options purely based on the handles. Outside of that list, I love what Paul Aldred does, the only bat I have had that I haven't had to mess around with the handle thickness and shape tbh.
If Aldred was stocked in retailers I'd happily go pick some stock bats up and choose one, his sticks are as good as it gets. Would I place a custom order with him? Nope.
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You're not alone. I've lost count on the number of Pros who claim they are using a 2.8/9 but it then has 3 grips on it.
My personal favourite that - every bat is 2.8 regardless of what the scales say :D ;)
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If Aldred was stocked in retailers I'd happily go pick some stock bats up and choose one, his sticks are as good as it gets. Would I place a custom order with him? Nope.
Fair enough.
Just an FYI, maybe should post this somewhere else on the forum. But Maddog Sports in Nottingham stocks Aldred bats off the shelf, know a few people who have bought in that way. https://maddogsports.co.uk/collections/cricket-bats