Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: tim2000s on October 12, 2010, 10:00:13 PM
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With the bat world cup underway, it set me thinking. Over the years I have used many bats. Some brands, generically, I have really loved to use. Others, it felt like every bat was a stinker. I don't have many of these now (unlike Mr Hosk).These are mine, what are yours....? Remember, this is bats that you've proper experience of, not just what you've heard.
Loved:
Hunts County, thanks to the Insignia, of whch I am on to my 3rd. First one I used was a reflex that went like the clappers.
GN: Dynadrive and it's spiritual successor, the Xiphos, and a clubmates Powerbow
M&H: Always been great to use but always belonged to other people...
Unsure of:
Laver: Yes, it's a thing of beauty, but I'm undecided
Stinkers:
GM: Hated the Cannon, Purist and Hero. Always felt like planks (although had a soft spot for the Diamond)
Slazenger: V12. V600, neither worked for me
CA: For some reason the middle is always in the wrong place and I've tried 4.
Simply my view. I bet others disagree...
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Love:
GM: Purist, Hero, Maxi, Purist II, 1st Gen Catalyst
Hunts County: Edge
Newbery: Thruxton
M&H: Solution, Distinction
Unsure:
Salix and Mongoose
Dislike:
GN: Viper - Liked the looks, they were just planks (I had 3), Xiphos, Ignite
CA: Just a question mark about the quality in which they are made
GM: Flare
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Millichamp and Hall!!!
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I have used few brands unlike others but from what I have used so far;
Liked:
Gray Nicolls Powerbow 3*, although the blade is a bit big compare to other bats and have low sweetspot the bat feels great in my hand.
CA 12000 Plus, Love the balance and pickup of this bat. Middle seem to be well placed as well.
Newbery Krakatoa, Again a bottom heavy bat but feels good in my hand and I seem to middle ball quite well with it.
Disliked:
SS, one of the worst shape bats I have ever seen and would never waste my money on SS bats.
MB Malik Bubber Sher, although it is a very good bat and somewhat feels nice but it doesn't go great with me playing.
Uncertain at the moment;
Custom made MB Malik Limited Edition, I got this bat custom made and told the batmaker to make it similar to Afridi and should have big profile. I did get what I asked for but haven't used it yet.
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Love
Chase top class bats and good softs
Remfry best money can buy
Laver and wood without doubt my special was incredible if you buy a pb only reason you might not like it is the handle/shoulder shape
Mike Ingham bats unique top draw from a top class league player
Ayrtek helmets thought gimmicky how wrong worth the sledging
Masuri Lids still wear mine to keep in comfort level nothing touches it
Gray Nicholls Test opener pads blast from the past best pad i have ever used and i have had a lot
Adidas 22 yards light best boot i have used
The New Duncan Fearnley retro when it comes to me
Hunts County you know what you get if you go to the factory
woodford....started my cricket with a set of there softs and still have the marks from the buckled buckskins
Unsure
any helmet other than the 2 in likes
Hate
Millichamp and Hall used 3 liked none of them not a traditionlist fan poor profiles..
Warsop Once again reputation not warrented with me used 5 of them 2 extensively found them poor...
Kookaburra Pads...worst top hat in history and stitching is not great either so i guess it includes sg as well...
All the company who churn out poor cheap softs around 50 per cent are all the same cheap crap....
slazenger poor cheap sell out not made anything decent in years....
Fearnley Ala the above
gunn and moore for stop making the diamond
woodworm what a joke
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I havent used many bats either but so far;
Like:
GN: XXX2 and XXX3 two of the best bats i have used. And currently using a Evo 1000le which so far is great.
Screaming cat: Used it in a harrow and it was incredible
Unsure:
GM: Icon original for the first season i used it, the bat felt like it didnt ping but for the second season it really began to pick and warrant the price tag.
Dislike:
SS
CA
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Like:
Puma - Vendetta, Kinetic
GN - Viper 1000
Duncan Fearnley - Old school
Unsure:
GN - xxx4, have this in longblade and that does'nt suit my game, maybe better in someone elses hands
Dislike:
Impala - Players Pro(redback), bought on reputation, big mistake, paid 330GBP for an average piece of wood.
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Liked:
Woodworm globe premier - awesome bat but only lasted 2 seasons
Warrior Special - had since i was 15 - still in the bag, i cant seem to get it out of there :)
CA 8000 - friend brought over from india - paid £50 - absolute weapon
disliked:
Kookaburra Beast - paid £180 and had to return and replace 3 times!
GN Millenium
Phoenix (yorkshire) batting bats - worst i have owned -not very comfortable considering knee locator and not had half a seasons use and falling to bits >:(
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Brands I Like
Hunts County – I had the Modulus and it went like an absolute gun, probably due to the now illegal honeycomb in the back of it. Sold it to a team mate but tempted to try and buy it back of him! Hit one of the biggest sixes I have ever hit with it when I chased down 19 in the last over to win a game (even if the home team did spend an absurd amount of time looking for the ball just to make the next five deliveries that bit harder to face in the decreasing light!!) I ended up kitting myself out in full Hunts County gear the only time I have had all possible gear from one company.
Bulldog – Got on the Bulldog bandwagon a few years ago, initially with a Basher to be used as a net bat, but it was instantly better than my Fusion so I shipped the fusion off and upgraded to the Pedigree. Over half heartwood and it performed like it! Scored my first ton with it this year including 2 mahoosive sixes (one that I very sadly went on to google earth and measured at over 90 meters!) Shame to say that the bat has seen better days and I will be retiring it.
Brands I Don’t Like
Kookaburra – I don’t know why I don’t like Kookaburra, I have never really used one but I have seen and used a few team mates and they all seemed naff. I am sure some people out there swear by them, but they really don’t do it for me.
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Hunts County – I had the Modulus and it went like an absolute gun, probably due to the now illegal honeycomb in the back of it.
Just picked one of these up for £12 inc P&P off ebay. Will be interesting to see its condition.
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Liked:
Gray Nicolls as a kid, due to so many top class players in their stable - David Gower, Mike Atherton, Robin Smith - my first English Willow bat was an Ulitmate 750 (size 6) - had to get matching gloves to go with it, and of course a yellow grip
Gunn&Moore - as far as I know the first company to offer pre-knocked in bats, so when my Hunts Bat (see dislikes!) broke mid season in 1998, I was straight to the local sports shops to buy a pre-knocked in Cannon - scored back to back tons with it (still my only 2 tons to date) and was awesome. Used the bat for 7 seasons before replacing it with a Hero, which didn't go quite as well, but still saw me return my highest batting average ever for a season (41 ish)
Laver&Wood - got turned on to them in 1999 when my club had a kiwi test pro - only got around to purchasing my own in 2007, but has by far been the best bat I've ever used
Dislike:
Hunts county - Someone at my old club was an agent for them, so we got discounted gear. Unfortunately, it never lasted. Sent my bat back to the factory at least twice, and got very little life out of it. Have had other bats since which I've later learned were made by Hunts on contract and had similar issues.
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Gray Nics(LOVE), Sabre 1000 megastrike first bat, was an absolute beaut,( had 3 of these in the Nasser era) scimitar top of the range (fave gray nics) was a brilliant wand...... Millenium 5 star, didnt like this one so much didnt feel very solid...... have loved all there softs
Puma(LOVE)- Ballistic 6000 very good performing bat, liked the profile massive spine and low middle, great on the drive- Puma Ballistic 6000 another great bat from puma, My best puma however was one i knicked off a clubmate that he bought out in oz, one of the original Puma Millichamp classics, was absolutely massive and i hit some big sixes with it....
Newbery- had a couple of series 1's which were great bats and loved the fact that the guy at the shop i bought them from (enfield sports) said dont worry about knocking them in just bring it back if it breaks, funnily enough the first one did and was replaced with no probs......
Classic bat- had a sponsorship with these as a colt- softs were pretty average bat was decent enough......
Warsop- never been a great fan of these although i have had a few and have scored my best two scores using these bats......
Millichamp & Hall(LOVE)- really do like these bats, The retro being my fave...currently use there distinction pads which i absolutely love
Slazenger- my first ever bat was a slaz V100 armourtec was ok did a job i guess, havent had one since