Very quick write up from the Lords show...
Adidas, Tom's new lids look great, much improved and I think will do better than ever.
Softs looked a bit ordinary, bat branding wasn't my cup of tea at all. Over done the three stripes.
Shoes will appeal, I really liked their molded option.
The spikes were also good, if a little too blue.
Surridge looked the same as ever, with some nice new gloves.
Actually nice gloves were a real theme, in my view.
New Balance. Their focus is on reasonable priced shoes and the have hit the bullseye. Really impressive.
I didn't look at their bat/softs due to time restrictions.
Ton/cotton traders/gentlemen and players shared a stand. Nice caps, nice kit and typical Ss ton bats and softs, with way too many stickers on.
Masuri... Plastic, heavy, and you can't see through them. Also I worry about some of the build. I won't be investing. Sorry.
GN... Solid reliable and good quality. Nice range. What is not to like?
Asics... What you see is what you get, a good shoe. Will have their market share eroded this year by NB.
SF... Same as usual, and I really like that.
Mongoose... Bright well made bags and decent looking bats, fans will stay fans!
Newbery... Ever popular. The kudos is a great shape, but one we have seen - in fact the same as my match bat. The stickers are great close up but you can't see them from 20 yards away. The new mjolner is the same shape as the blank bats series 1 model, I used to have one and it is a great offering.
Albion... Same as previous years, but with a new grille. I likes their work. The new grille is the one Chris Rodgers was wearing.
Spartan... Nuts really. Lovely softs, good bags and the bats were all totally different, no uniformity of shape, it will be pot luck. The Clarke and prior top bats were a beautiful shape, but there is no guarantee that is what you get the toes were also unfinished which was daft. A retail bat benefits from a toe guard, I am not buying a bat finished like a fence post.
County looked good, same as usual but with a "revolution" model with a hole drilled in it to save weight.
M and h really good, show winners for me, loved their new CK range the branding and softs looked great. They have redesigned the old green puma/M&H retro stickers into a modern block style with lots of blue trim. Going to be expensive though is my gut feel.
If you like Blue, 2014 will be a serious kit buying year for you, everyone has gone Blue or Aqua.
Phew.
Sorry for no more info.
My three favourite bats in the show...
Michael Clarke very expensive top Sparten bat (with the exception of the splinter inducing toe!) lovely shape, picked up like a dream.
Kudos Newbery shape - just lovely, branding is ok, will look great in photo's but not great in person (just my view)
Caerulex by county - proper bat, picked up well and didn't have a silly match stick handle like most offerings.
bat from the show, I think will sell the most...
tough ask as I didn't look at the price lists
too difficult to answer - maybe a £150 sparten if they get their shapes and finishing sorted (everyone wants to be Chris Gayle) or may be the newbery, which looked lovely.
Biggest flop.
Masuri lids "vision series". Sorry. not for me.
Best new entrant.
New Balance shoes. they will do really well.
P.s. I think I may be the only person ever to go to the Lords trade show in a three piece suit...!!
Author
Topic: Lords Trade Show (Read 59365 times)