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[Bats_Entertainment]

Basically, this is so they can keep their "Hand-making bats in England... since 1919" tag?

[adb club cricketer]

Looks very much that way .The way I see it is that they' re not new grades in terms of willow quality essentially the + just stands for made in England

Doesnt seem to be the case. See the following from newbery site:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0364/1041/files/grading-explained-2017.pdf?4879854140367476782

According to newbery, the plus grade across G1/G2/G3 will be
"These are premium selected clefts with added innovation and different treatments of the willow"

Basically, in all grades, the plus is a better willow in same grade, e.g. sps+ is better grade 1 than sps though both grade1. Similarly player+ is better Grade2 than player though both grade 2 etc.

[adb club cricketer]

Another difference between plus and regular is in handles. Across G1/G2/G3, plus bats will have top quality handle.
While for regular (non plus) bats, the top quality is only in sps and pro with only "good" handle in lower grades.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0364/1041/files/grading-explained-2017.pdf?4879854140367476782

[Bats_Entertainment]

And this has supposed to have cleared things up?

[edge]

Kudos2 still has the 'special' pressing, have they passed the special secret on to Aldred [insert new batmaker here]?

[Bwcc]

Anyone else think this is by far the most confusing grading system ever?

[Bats_Entertainment]

You'd have thought SF would have been capable of producing a 'pro' bat, wouldn't you?

[Ayrtek Cricket]

The use of + in grading confuses me, it's already confusing enough with people perception of what falls into G3/2/1 without adding in further + options.

Is it the fact that the + grades are priced higher again that regular G3/2/1 as I can't believe the willow supplier adds on an extra % when purchasing them if they've got 14 grains as opposed to 9 when selling a G1 for example.

[GDP1964]

You'd have thought SF would have been capable of producing a 'pro' bat, wouldn't you?

Very True they do make and produce fantastic Pro Bats but think about it SF have just come into the UK in a big way Paul Motum has been tasked to promote and develop the brand here he is not going to let the Top grade Willow come in and be given to Newbery to Sticker up just look at the SF bats Uzi displayed on the Forum awhile ago Quality

[Alvaro]

The use of + in grading confuses me, it's already confusing enough with people perception of what falls into G3/2/1 without adding in further + options.

Is it the fact that the + grades are priced higher again that regular G3/2/1 as I can't believe the willow supplier adds on an extra % when purchasing them if they've got 14 grains as opposed to 9 when selling a G1 for example.

To me it implies that English is better, which in my opinion palpably isn't the case.

[Bats_Entertainment]

To me it implies that English is better, which in my opinion palpably isn't the case.

Was kind of my point. Can Aldred (?) really make a better bat than SF?  My issue with this out-sourcing thing has never been the quality of Indian bats.

[edge]

To me it implies that English is better, which in my opinion palpably isn't the case.

Or more simply that English is more expensive?

[Bats_Entertainment]

So, is a Players + better than a regular SPS?

[adb club cricketer]

So, is a Players + better than a regular SPS?

Depends on whether you think a "superior" Grade 2  is better than a "normal" Grade 1  or not

[adb club cricketer]

We all see the existing grades as

G1/G1+/G1++/G1+++ .....
G2
G3
G4
G5

So newbery must have thought why should the "+" be the sole  proprietary of G1. Why not  do the same for G2 and G3 (thankfully they haven't done it yet for G4 or below but I can see it coming). So they must have started the G2+, G3+

Looking  further down in future, given that ICC has seriously restricted cricket bat innovation by restricting edge and spine, the innovation is going to come from willow grading   .. dont be surprised if you see grades as Grade 1.1, ...Grade 1.9, Grade 2.1, Grade 2.2 , ... Grade 2.9 etc where a computer takes in number of grains, number of knots, no of blemishes, blemish size, willow color contrast, etc etc and spits out the grade number via some formula

Retailers will be saying "so and so customer wanted specific bat shape in grade 2.7 but sorry we had one only in grade 2.6!"