OK, I think I will review my Newbery Uzi SPS. I have had it for three seasons now, so I have a fairly good idea of what it's like!Intro:After owning my cheap, second hand beginner's kit for long enough, I decided to head to The Chalet in Hove to buy, not only my first ever new bat, but whole new kit! At that point, I knew virtually nothing about cricket equipment, let alone prfile, grains and carbon handles (they probably didn't exist then
). As with most young kids, I wanted a bat that looked good, with nice stickers!
Choosing:They had a huge choice of bats there, as they do today, but my then-untrained eye was just looking for something fairly cheap. Nick, being the top guy he is, picked me out what I can now recognise as a BEAUTY of a 'sub-standard bat'. Emphasis on the inverted commas... The reason for the sub-standard label, and therefore the discounted price, was a miniature, maybe 5mm 'dent' in the back of the bat, up near the shoulder. In short, I managed to walk out of there with a kit bag full of pads, gloves, and a 13 grain Uzi SPS in Harrow for £50! Bargain, in my eyes!
Performance:I don't really remember much about how it went when I first got it etc., so I'm gonna go mainly on how it has gone this year, after a Newbery refurb over the winter. I sent it back because, after countless amateur re-stickering/oilings etc. it was in a fairly sorry state, looking more orange than your average heat magazine cast... Adam, a young lad I know who works there (as equally help as Nick, John and Michael) gave me the bat back at a Hove training session. My first thoughts - Shiny! Hold on! They've nicked half the wood! It didn't feel too much lighter either (this was confirmed when I took it home and read 2lb5oz on the scales) - I feared the beginning of the end... But then, I went in to bat, first ball I hit - bang! It was just as good as ever, maybe better. Hitting the ball felt so effortless, so soft. The middle was still alive and kicking, and for such a 'thin' bat, there is a fairly large margin for error! Toe-ing the ball won't get the ball far, but it doesn't 'hurt' the hands as much as some others, and it's the toe, after all! The performance has continued all through this season, I have been getting full value for my shots, which I need when I'm as slight as I am!
Looks:As for looks, it is stunning. The new modern Uzi logo, and the eye-catching 'Cadbury chocolate' stickers, looks great with the timeless traditional Newbery crest and ribbon, and all in all, I love it!
Summary: Service was, as always great - I highly recommend a trip to Hove to anyone wanting a new bat at a fair price, or just quality equipment. As I have said, I have really pleased with the performance, especially considering the price, and I will be purchasing another Newbery over the coming months, not a Fusion, Laver etc., because the 'custom' bats I have had my hands on have been nothing special in comparison.
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Topic: Newbery Uzi Review (Read 6370 times)