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[Bats_Entertainment]

Sports Direct website says Icon is Kashmir willow.

[Chad]

Sports Direct website says Icon is Kashmir willow.

How reliable is Sports Direct? I think the V100 Icon was a low grade of English Willow, at least that's what the pricing and the Google search would suggest. The 'Icon' bats in SD are from a different model. (V200 and V360)

[ItsJustCricket]

Strange to hear everyone's reactions to heartwood on here, and how it automatically means a lower grade.  I know that a few of the England team really like heartwood and would always want it on their bats.  Also, many of the sample bats on display at the Lord's show had heartwood because, I believe, the manufacturers really like the look of it too, and want to show those bats off ahead of others.  Is it just on here that heartwood is unpopular? And why is it so unpopular??

[toenails97]

I really don't get it - people were raving about it last year! None the less I like it

[procricket]

Hell  fire agree with buzz how the hell does anybody know how it will play by looking at a picture seriously some people are taking this bat stuff a tad to far.

About 3 years ago heartwood bats only on custom bats forum where almost double in price because a certain con man stated test players used them so they must be the best and sold them with a few forum brands for a premium which was laughable.

I love all this great for a left handed or right with heartwood malony as well let's be honest with the standard most of us play it doesn't matter bar the coverage of a middle.

What next a cross grained bat plays better???

Truth is it should in looks not be graded very high and in terms of performance how the hell do I know depends on the users.


Oh and Paul the reason it not popular because the forum follows fads which pop up from time to time.

[Alvaro]

There's also a lot more heartwood around than 'true' all sapwood G1 too. By law of average it would therefore mean pros/Test players bats would have it.

[Wickets-then-runs]

I know this is a bit "out there", and some may call me crazy for my "World is round" theories but you could take the much-discussed bat down to the "nets" and get someone to bowl to you and actually try it out....? 
Seriously, I learnt a long time and many thousands of dollars ago that there are plenty of gorgeous looking fence palings out there! You simply cannot judge by looks alone, as it may well have been over-pressed, under-pressed, too dry etc, etc, etc.

[Bats_Entertainment]

The bat in the pic looks like Kashmir willow to me.

[mussaduq]

It looks like a G3 bat

[Bats_Entertainment]

There's also a lot more heartwood around than 'true' all sapwood G1 too. By law of average it would therefore mean pros/Test players bats would have it.

No, they actually like heartwood. But that does not mean it meets JS Wright's current guidelines as to what constitutes G1.

[simonmay5]

The bat in the pic looks like Kashmir willow to me.

Can confirm it is not Kashmir it is English willow grade 3 due to heartwood and a few pin nots but taps up as good as some grade one bats

[Number4]

The bat in the pic looks like Kashmir willow to me.

Looks nothing like Kashmir to me

[mini998]

Isn't Slazenger owned by SD or the other way around? So wouldn't that make SD description is more reliable?

Even Slazenger store looks identical to Sports Direct.

[Nickauger]

No, they actually like heartwood. But that does not mean it meets JS Wright's current guidelines as to what constitutes G1.

Are you brimble in disguise?

[GarrettJ]

Are you brimble in disguise?

Based on the comments on here both my M&H distinction mark 1 bats are grade 3.

Some real fruitcakes on here