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[madpra6]

Only higher end/higher grade bats perform & the lower end/lower grade bats are duds - Is this not misleading customers by such a big re seller. What does a bats weight have to do with performance? There have been & are bats with smaller edges & concaved profile which have performed/perfom like guns.

[jd163]

I avoid US cricket stores for their stupidly high prices and bad great customer service. UK retailers are better in both prices and service. I have heard lame reasons like OP mentioned  to justify their low quality product.

[mo_town]

It would be good to know what you accused the seller of to make a fair assessment of the comment.

[Vitas Cricket]

When it comes to UK brands, stores in America tend to get the previous seasons stock, or leftovers. I remember Cricket Store Online hitting social media hard to promote GN Mavericks that had just come into stock on the same day we reduced them as a discontinued model.

You say well known seller, i've never heard of them either on or away from this forum.

It is possible to find low end bats that perform, we have selected plenty during visits to batmakers/suppliers over the years.

[Biggie Smalls]

ive seen a few cricket merchant youtube videos.... the bat review guy annoys me by never saying that he'll tap up the bat with a 'ball' - its always a 'cherry' , even when he uses a white ball !
Reputable or not , can't  say... but the reply seems to be a bunch of excuses .

[InternalTraining]

The comment about high grass and ground shots is true. Not all light weight bats generate enough power for such conditions. You'd have somewhat better luck with hand picked "low end" light weight bats but still high grass is a nightmare to bat on.

[Neon Cricket]

Total codswallop - I haven't used above a Grade 2 for about 5 years now, and I've got access to pretty much unlimited willow through Neon. I've always said that the grade is irrelevant - the pressing makes 95% of the performance IMO.

To put it in perspective, my main match bat this season is a G3...

[Seniorplayer]

Yep it's down. To the pressing but top end bats are  rather nice.

[LBWCandidate]

I can say that grass comment is true. Very limited value for good square cut or a straight drive. I recently scored 76 which could have easily 120+ as all the balls would stop closer to boundary unless it bounced close to the ropes.
However, prices on CricketMerchant site are inflated, to say the least.

[sfa82]

I have been in the US for a year now and started following a few of the online stores through social media. Best Cricket Store, The Cricket Masters and Cricket Merchant are ones that are active. I have noticed that Cricket Merchant has many older models, some from several seasons ago but at new model prices. They were responsive when I had questions previously. Best Cricket Store features many new bats and recently announced that they are stocking GM after signing an agreement to distribute in the US. The CricketMasters Facebook page is run by a forum member and has some lovely bats on display. Also runs a bat auction every Friday with some good bats up for grabs. I have not bought anything yet, as a new baby boy is taking all the spare cash.

Regarding the grass. Many outfields I have seen and played on tend to be longer and thicker than what we have in SA. Ground strokes definitely don't get value  for the shots. Guys scoring big scores are the ones with the ability to hit over the top consistently. Or maybe this is just my excuse for not getting any runs.

[rahul_1987]

The mass of the bat would have an impact on performance with bigger bats pinging a bit more..grade as such doesn't matter but every bat is different so i dont think we can generalize. I have seen G1+ duds and some G4s going like rocket

[edge]

The mass of the bat would have an impact on performance with bigger heavier bats pinging a bit more..grade as such doesn't matter but every bat is different so i dont think we can generalize. I have seen G1+ duds and some G4s going like rocket

[InternalTraining]

Regarding the grass. Many outfields I have seen and played on tend to be longer and thicker than what we have in SA. Ground strokes definitely don't get value  for the shots. Guys scoring big scores are the ones with the ability to hit over the top consistently. Or maybe this is just my excuse for not getting any runs.

I really wonder how I'd fare on "regulation" grounds and what'd be my personal technique and bat selection. I'd really like to try.

[adb club cricketer]

Not sure who makes GN bats (not aussie ones) but they seem to be producing the greatest number of planks from my experience around..Have around 5 mates with GN bats and all 5 are planks. All of them are either G2 or G1, none lower end, one was a powerbow LE. Not sure if that can be a coincidence..

[Sitonit]

I have played in UK and in the US.

The hardball cricket in US is mostly played on concrete surfaces covered with a green mat.

The ground grading is usually horrible - fielders usually need to excercise caution of unexpected, or I should rather say, expected bumps that will make the ball hit you in the face.

There is no mole control so dirt mounds are a common in U.S. Cricket grounds - there is hardly any comparison with the good level English grounds.

But since we play on concrete, the ball bounces and zips - narrow and thin bats usually don't stand a chance here.