But made by a man who lost his job from a firm that lost its way big time.....
I was starting to buy the ' solitaire cricket bats are rubbish' thing but that statement has totally blown me away.
Roger Weston
did not lose his job at Duncan Fearnley, who by the way still make very good top of the range bats, contrary to general opinion. Roger Weston had a argument with Duncan Fearnley over importing goods from India. Fearnley wanted all bats apart from the Ultimate and Test ranges to be Indian made. Weston had an argument and left. He then opened up Solitaire cricket on Solitaire avenue in Worcester, about a mile away from the Fearnley Factory itself and used previous contacts from his Fearnley days to get gear at great rates.
The rest is like a memoir of Fearnley and Solitaire shop visits
How do I know this? Over the summer we were going to Birmingham to visit relatives and I managed to convince my dad that we should go through Worcester so I could visit the Fearnley and Solitaire shops.
The top of the range Fearnley gear was like the level 4 range (High level quality) form Kookaburra. Top of the range gloves had black calf leather palms and were £50. They weren't even sheep leather, let alone pittard for a top of the range set of gloves. Pads were much better but the cane was quite weak - you wouldn't get hurt if hit but you will feel it - £70 wtf. Many more examples like those but the bats were quite the opposite. Top of the range was £280 but ping off it was immense and the middle was forgiving.
Solitaire cricket didn't have gloves - he ran out. Pads offered great protection and were quite flexible but the colour scheme didnt work. not many bats therer as they are all custom made but some I tried had fairly light pick up and the ball flew when you hit it right, not as much when you didn't middle it though.
i have seen better bats from argos....
Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. I have yet to read a bad review about solitaire - and there are lots of bat reviews on CSF