I recently visited Vitas Cricket to look for a new bat and after picking up lots of different bats I decided on a B&S Scorch weighing in at 2lb8oz. After knocking in the toe and edges and a few net sessions I got to use the bat in a game for the first time on Saturday - 30* so a reasonable start!
For the money and when compared to the usual manufacturers the bat looks like a quality bit of wood. It has about 9 straight grains but some heartwood on the inside edge. I'm not a huge fan of the stickers but I can live with them and I don't think anyone else in my league has a B&S so its a bit different. I have changed the stock grip for an all white chevron style grip - just a personal preference. It would be nice if it came with a cover but this isn't a big deal for me.
At 2lb8oz its fairly light with a great pickup which is exactly what I wanted. Coming from an indian style bat (2lb11oz) it lacks a little bit of power but in terms of its weight and balance it performs suberbly. I have a steady away batting style but play the pull and cut shot so this bat suits me perfectly. The wood feels well pressed and much harder than my old bat but it has great ping and even the toe and top of the blade are reasonably responsive. I love the semi-oval handle which is quite thin and again this suits me.
After an innings and a few net sessions there is no signs of any cracks etc (which is not the case on many cheap indian bats most of my team uses) and I feel like I have a bat that should last a reasonable length of time and hopefully get a lot of run. All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend a B&S.
Thanks to Vitas Cricket for helping me choose the bat and taking the time to explain things to me.