Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Reviews => Topic started by: will5210 on March 22, 2010, 01:34:39 PM
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Firstly apologies for the iPhone-tastic photos (camera sucks - apple get it sorted!)
Anyway, I ordered one of these having seen the photos on here & on the Blackcat website, and having thought it was something new and worth checking out.
I went for 2.9 weight which is roughly the same as my current bats & grade 3 because I'm quite tight :)
Delivery from me ordering was about 3 days, which is more than acceptable imo.
First impressions: well, it is massive! About 43mm edges, but the striking thing is how thick the shoulders & toe are - they're huge! Pick up is really good - in fact it feels like any other bat, which surprised me considering how far all the wood is from your hands.
The finish is excellent - imo comparable with the Newbery I had- and the stickers are superbly printed.
There are 6 grains - pretty straight and even with a few tiny knots and marks (to be expected for G3 really)
All in all I'm chuffed to bits. Am going to begin the tedious knocking in process tonight and will report back with a mallet update.
Cheers
(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2295/img0165jf.jpg) (http://img232.imageshack.us/i/img0165jf.jpg/)
(http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/1795/img0160yt.jpg) (http://img38.imageshack.us/i/img0160yt.jpg/)
(http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/8417/img0163c.jpg) (http://img176.imageshack.us/i/img0163c.jpg/)
(http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3441/img0161g.jpg) (http://img91.imageshack.us/i/img0161g.jpg/)
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Its good to see another addition to the Joker community!
Nice pick-up on these bats!
It looks great mate, and looking forward to hearing how it feels once iit's knocked in! 8)
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Nice looking blade - not to shabby for a grade 3. I want to join this community, whats it like Pete? Do the taps flow with beer and the ladies all look like Angelina Jolie or Jennifer Aniston depending on your mood???
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£150 for a grade 3! Can get a GM 909 for that and it is Grade 1. Its the same with mongoose. I think they need to bring their Grade 3 prices down £20 or so quid.
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GM 909 is £230.00 RRP. Sells for around £180ish in most online retailers
Mongoose G3 is £150.00 RRP. Sells for around £120ish in most online retailers
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Ok, thought 909s could be picked up for around £165. Still quite alot for a Grade 3.
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Oooh, it's a great community!
Those with a grade 3 are seen as equal to those with grade 1s!
This is because the grade 3 jokers will probably perform almost as well as the Grade 1 jokers anyway!
It's a community filled with love and harmony!
Where you go to a drink fountain, and whatever grink you fancy flows out freely!
Where Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston roam around naked, obeying your every command.
And cricket is played 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Come join the community people! :D
Liam - I think the point is that the likes of Mongoose, Lekka, Joker, SAF (oh yes, Andy has T20 bat too!) are made for the purpose of playing that format of the game!! So comparing a T20 bat to a GM 909 is like comparing a Ferrari with a Mercedes diesel! Both are excellent in their own format! But the reason people want a Joker, goose and other - is for the T20 format.....full stop!!
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Disagree with you Pete - sorry. The MM13 bat is made solely for twenty twenty because outside of this format it's alleged performance boosting capabilities are counteracted by it's limitations. The Joker, Lekka and SAF is more of a universal bat, where i wouldnt nnecessarily pigeonhole them into twenty twenty cricket only - this is why i prefer these styles over the MM13 because i believe they will be more adaptable.
This isnt a pop at mongoose, im sure Tom would agree that he cannot envisage many people using this bat in 4 day matches and test matches......whereas i think the others may have more of a chance of being used in conventional cricket formats.
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However - i do like what you say about this communnity - sounds like my kind of commune :D
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I agree SS, the MMi3 isn't made for 4 day cricket. However that isn't necessarily bad for us, after all out of our prospective purchasers how many play 4 day/Test Cricket?
I think bats for each format is the future, look how many players are changing bats in the IPL. So adaptability to me isn't the key.
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Yes I agree with SS.
Having put Megan Fox down & picked up my Joker again, I can't see any reason not to use it in my 45 overs games.
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I agree people already have different bats for different formats, how many times on here do you here "and i have this heavy meaty bat to go out and swing in my mid-week twenty20 match" its just a case of changing those heavy, meaty ones to something like a mongoose (well thats what tom hopes!) and the ipl coverage is doing no harm in helping along this change!!!
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True SS - the Joker, Lekka and SAF can be used for the 'normal' 35, 40 and 50 over games - agreed with you there.
Although for the longer format of 'proper' cricket - 3/4/5 day tests, I still think the best option would be a SH bat.
Whereas the MMi would be a T20 only format!
Everyone is welcome in the joker community my children!!
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just so I can get myself out of this thread
Pete, that bat your saw isn't my T20 bat just one I made up last year for a jolly in the nets
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Ok Andy - I thought you had a T20 model also?
Sorry if I got that wrong chap! :-[
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Ok Andy - I thought you had a T20 model also?
Sorry if I got that wrong chap! :-[
Yep I do but no one on here has seen it, it just sounded like you'd seen it so I thought I'd better say
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If you would like one of your T20 bats reviewed alongside the Joker, Lekka, Mongoose, then you just say the word!
I can test them to destruction you know!! ;)
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Whats the lekka bat like?
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Same as black cat I would imagine
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I will be testing the Lekka and Joker side by side at some point.
Both bats need to be fully knocked in and taken down the nets for a damn good thrashing!!
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Did you get the Lekka off mike?
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Same as black cat I would imagine
Do you review all bats by imagination?
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Does Mike help you get your regular bats aswell?
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No - didnt get the lekka off mike fella.
Have purchased 3 or 4 bats off mike.
But also of charlie, armie, and looking at one from asad too in the near future.
Last couple of bats have come from 100notout, pinchie and armie chap! Why?
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I don't sell Lekka bats, but I know who does and he rates them highly, couldn't tell who made them from the ones I collected a while ago, all gone now so cannot help with them. Have a Joker on order now so will look forward to joining the club and testing its claims against my MMi3.
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I ordered a 2 8.5 G1 and cant wait to get it. I prefer a night with Megan more like
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I ordered a 2 8.5 G1 and cant wait to get it. I prefer a night with Megan more like
It has that 'wow' factor when you open the box!
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Well - can't imagine that you will be nothing short of VERY HAPPY!!
And joining the happy joker commmunity is a bonus!
Sorry - Megan is reserved for me! But I believe that Angelina could be available!! ;)
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I've ordered a big one, 2.12 in grade 3 so lets hope Megan delivers to me first, since Rich broke Cheryl I think it only fair to bag first dibs.
The MMi3 had wow factor when it came, it faded though so report back after nets, that's where it all fell apart for me.
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I've ordered a big one, 2.12 in grade 3 so lets hope Megan delivers to me first, since Rich broke Cheryl I think it only fair to bag first dibs.
The MMi3 had wow factor when it came, it faded though so report back after nets, that's where it all fell apart for me.
I agree. Size means nothing if it doesn't perform!
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Careful chaps - this could get smutty!! ;)
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Careful chaps - this could get smutty!! ;)
Important to have a lot of wood in your hand etc......
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Careful chaps - this could get smutty!! ;)
Did someone say smutty?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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Just a quick update.
After a couple of hours knocking in & a very light oiling, I took the Joker to our last indoor nets.
I used it for about 5-10 mins against the spinners & some gentle medium pacers and was just blocking with the occasional gentle straight drive. All in all it seems good! Its a little lighter than my usual net bat, so my timing was a little off, but when i did time it, it went well.
It defo needs more knocking/playing in though, and being quite a wide grain I'd imagine it'll take some time to come to life properly.
The slightly narrower face seemed to make no difference whatsoever, in fact, I'd forgotten it was narrower until i started typing this!
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Used it again tonight playing full blooded shots against seam bowling and its feeling good! Not timing too many at the moment, but thats me - not the bat.
I'm netting again tomorrow & will definately use it for this weekends games. Fingers crossed for a decent score!
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If the grains aren't doing the job, you could always use the edges...
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Lol i certainly could!
I'm just waiting for the first wise ass "look at this joker" sledge at weekend. Its bound to happen
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I know, but let all those runs do the talking, then who'll be laughing....