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[tim2000s]

The classic right handed bat!

[RageofKlugman]

I've got one of those GN Supertests, but in nothing like that condition! What sort of era do they date from?

[Number4]

The classic right handed bat!

Wonder if the edge sizes are different as well like the GM's use to have 

[Mattsky]

Lovely old stick. Looks ready for action!
Wouldn't it be a lefthander's bat though?
The scooped toe on the right-hand edge of the bat would be in a natural position when a lefthander takes their guard, no? Happy to be enlightened, mind.

[Boondougal]

Here is the second of what I like to consider my rarest finds. Why is it one of those? Well these don't come up that often. And when they do, they're not usually in great nick. Why are these so rare? That's thanks to a little bit of scrapping between two of the larger batmakers of the time. But first, here it is. A Slazenger V800, Mark I, or Cat's Eye, in excellent condition and weighiing in at 2lb 9.7oz.

Now, why the rarity? Well, this was down to the fact that Gray Nicolls had patents out on the Scoop and on multiple scoops, and they felt that this bat infringed on those patents and went after Slazenger. As a result it was around for about a season, before Slazenger redesigned the V800 to remove the wonderful cat's eyes and produce the much inferior slotted edge version, or Mark II.

This has long been a favourite of mine and thanks to Gray Nics has long been hard to find. Enjoy...!

That is a serious collectors bat right there... great find Tim.

[Churchy1989]

I was tempted to give that a bid and tidy it up, ended up getting a H4L Hattori G2.

It does look like a Lefty stick @Mattsky, unless the image has been mirrored?

[Chalkie]

So the other bats I picked up on my recent trip were these 2 signed SH vintage GMs, both from the same seller who was involved with Notts County CC (not as a player).




The one on the right has been signed by the England and NZ teams on the 1986 NZ tour. The seller won it in a blind auction at a the club dinner after the Trent Bridge test match that year.

I checked the records and NZ won that test by 8 wickets with Hadley taking 10 for 140 (off 55.1 overs), passing 1200 test wickets, and Gower also passed 6000 test runs in the game. Interestingly with one run required by NZ Gatting invited Gower to bowl, he apparently intentionally threw his first ball which the Ump no-balled and was hit by Martin Crowe for 4 - anyone on here remember that?

Some nice history and signatures from great cricketers (how many can you recognise?), so really pleased to have picked this up.




The other GM (on the left) is apparently from Bruce French's 1991 benefit year at Notts, again picked up at a club dinner. The signatures have faded, it looks like something was spilt on it, may see if a little oil or wax will help bring them out.

This particular bat is a lovely shape, 8 grains, with 25mm edges and a 55mm spine, no concaving (actually almost convex), it is the bigger of the two but remarkably it only weighs 2lb 4.8oz, and taps up really well.






Haven't decided what to do with this one - I may sell it on if there are any Notts fans out there, or I may give it a good refurb and try it out in a match.

[Buzz]

The players will be this lot...
http://m.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/63436.html

[Alvaro]

That is a bloody long tail with Kenya's Derek Pringle ar six!

[Chalkie]

The players will be this lot...
http://m.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/63436.html

That's cheating... I was hoping people would say what signatures they recognise or remember as playing that era

[tim2000s]

This particular bat is a lovely shape, 8 grains, with 25mm edges and a 55mm spine, no concaving (actually almost convex), it is the bigger of the two but remarkably it only weighs 2lb 4.8oz, and taps up really well.

Haven't decided what to do with this one - I may sell it on if there are any Notts fans out there, or I may give it a good refurb and try it out in a match.

I'm fairly sure these "The County" bats were made specifically for signatures. The ones that players were using at the time were the Maestro and the Diamond was introduced in 1991. I think the Cannon and Maxi were still going too. There was also the lower grade Striker. 

[SwingAndMiss]

I'm fairly sure these "The County" bats were made specifically for signatures. The ones that players were using at the time were the Maestro and the Diamond was introduced in 1991. I think the Cannon and Maxi were still going too. There was also the lower grade Striker.

Think the maxi was slightly later?? Cavalier and imperial were also around with maestro I believe.

[Mortimer]

I've got one of those GN Supertests, but in nothing like that condition! What sort of era do they date from?

As GN changed to that shade of red in 1977, Late 70s , possibly early 80s.

[Chalkie]

I'm fairly sure these "The County" bats were made specifically for signatures.

@tim2000s  If these were made specifically for signatures why use what appears to be such a decent piece of low density willow, with minimal blemishes (even on the back)?

[Tom]

Are they definitely salix alba caerulea?