1. My team mates have taken brand new CA bats to matches (without bothering to knock them) and hit sixes with them. They can't stop singing praises of CAs. Personally, I don't "knock" bats as they ought to be. Light mallet work followed by net time is enough. I prepare bats preemptively in case top bat(s) goes to bat heaven. So, those bats in rotation are getting net time even batting time in practice/light matches. I have said this before: bat makers need to understand their market! Where I play, people are too busy to knock a bat properly. They'd rather take a bat, use it, make some runs, and when it breaks, replace with another one. It seems CA hits that sweet spot for my market.
Also, the reason cricket is losing popularity is that it is a hard sport to get into and enjoy. Yes, it is hard to enjoy! Most bats suck. Most bat makers make things difficult for users. There is no standardization around bat specifications. It is a joke! Make things easy for people to enjoy, not hard. Young people don't have that kind of an attention span. Cricket bat and equipment manufactures needs to leave WG Grace era behind and embrace the 21st. century.
2. Never had issues with the handles. I know of atleast 4 CAs that I own -- could be more but they are the only ones visible in my pile of bats.
My main match bat is at least 7 seasons old. It is delaminated and sounds funny but (knock on wood) it is my top performer. My close second is a Keeley (20+ grains).
3. Regarding weight, I have seen CA weights that are spot on (as stickered) and also heavier bats. My first two Lavers were heavier by two ounces. Laver had a weight problem for a while where their bats were arriving heavier than shipped. Lavers aren't cheap and shipping them back is a pain.
4. Regarding width of the bat, if a bat is missing a few millimeters, so what? If you are bothered by that, I suggest more hobbies and people in your life. I have never measured if a bat is missing millimeters; as long as it pings, I just hit the ball from the middle instead of the missing millimeters from the edges of the blade.
5. Now, shorter blade, long handle bats are the rage these days. CA were the first one to make such bats. That configuration helps improve bat swing. But for lovers of tradition, it was a crime! This fanatical attachment to traditions is hobbling progress of this sport. Standard bat sizing is absolutely incorrect and impractical.
Author
Topic: CA Legend Cricket Bat (Read 5918 times)