Aldred Classic Review
Grade Blue
Grains 11
Mid middle
Modern semi flat face
Standard length Blade SH
Edges 28mm
Shoulder 15mm
Toe 32mm
Spine 56mm
Weight 2,11 dead.
Traditional medium-thick oval handle with 2 rubber inserts.
Bat cover, extra grip and thin cricket socks purchased also.
I ordered this bat Christmas week.
With willow prices steeply rising I thought I would get in before any more rises in January.
Aldred has always been on my bucket list rather like Salix and Rob Pack.
Well now I have all 3 and feeling complete.
Just one more well known Yorkshireman to do business with left on my list.
I had a basic email exchange with Paul before ordering online but Id say I went with gut instinct on which profile to order rather than advice. I feel happy I picked well.
I had the delivery sent to a female friend who works from home. But didnt get round to collecting for a while.
She was surprised how light the box was which was a positive sign.
So the exciting unboxing moment happened.
Wow, what a lovely surprise! Looks amazing, beautiful willow. No ugly oversized specs (I hate the fat edges look)
Initial thoughts and reactions?
Oh heck this bat is too light!
Wow what a lovely proper size handle. Wont need any extra grips or tape on this one!
How light and balanced does this bat feel, thats incredible without any adjusting.
This bat is a proper big bat but I wouldnt want it any fatter.
Nice mat finished bat. Decent grip and mat scuff sheet.
The ping was very good and no seam marks left. I know social media ping tests can feel over dramatic but this bat was flying. No indentations by a mallet either. Ping was similar to played in bats.
And Im left wondering if I really need to knock this bat in or not.
Just a lovely understated stealth of a cricket bat. I absolutely love it. Im going to really enjoy using this bat.
Genuinely to me pickup feels as light under 2,8.
Nothing bottom heavy about this bat.
And the balance point on my finger was equal 50/50. I could probably thicken the very end of the handle just for my top hand preference.
Even my female friend who knows nothing about cricket gave it a swing and complimented how light it felt to her. She could happily use it. I couldnt believe it weighed 2,11.
I gave the bat 1.5hours of knocking in but nothing was happening. And I wasn’t even rounding the edges. I was a bit miffed.
Tried another 1.5hours the next day with a change of technique and I had better response.
I am still struggling to round the edges to my usual expectation. But I assume thats just how flat faced bats are? Let me know thoughts.
It seems a very beat proof bat that’s for sure. Generous middle length with consistent ping. Which will only get better & better in time as it really opens up.
But it’s the lightest weight pickup I cant get over. I couldve gone to 2,13 and I dont think I would feel any difference.
So thats my wonderful positive review of my very well made and cared for Aldred Classic.
Now, as I collected from a friend I was needed in the pub a few hours later.
So I let my teammates have a try of the bat.
Very mixed feedback.
In fact the younger they were the more they detested the bat.
Why is the handle thicker than the bat?
That feels really heavy?
Its got a strange pickup, feels bottom heavy?
The overs, like me, thought it was great! The unders had real issues with it.
I couldnt believe what I was hearing. With that thick handle and tilting point precisely in the middle of the bat. I just cant understand how the bat could feel bottom heavy and heavy pickup to anyone?
Oh well, each to their own.
I noticed the youngsters hold the bat very low down on the handle. Which defeats the point of the bat to me. So maybe theres a clash of techniques causing opposite opinions.
Or maybe Im just getting less fussy as I get older!
Anyway, I thought it was interesting to offer this fun feedback in the review.
At least I dont need to worry about sharing my new bat!
Pickup feels very similar to a Salix AJK 2,8 I own.
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Topic: Aldred Classic Blue Review (Read 586 times)