So, after a rather long hiatus from the forum (after being attacked by the keyboard warriors of the internet). I thought it was about time to return… No, not with a sob story but one of kit of course (it’s why we are all here, isn’t it?).
Since being on here last, maybe around 2018/19, I became one of those hobbyist bat makers and kicked on to all other things that come with it (softs, luggage and all). Because of that, I now rock my own kit and hasn't changed much over the past few seasons but will be updated in March when my new stuff arrives.
SOFTS- First edition Morton & Carson batting pads with the traditional style canes, all white. Comfy ish but a bit on the heavy side, leather instep and towelled straps etc. all the bells and whistles you expect I suppose. Going into 4th season this year so have stood up to many tantrums after not scoring any runs.
- 2023 Yellow T20 batting pads with the rounded front vertical bolsters, obviously cack-handed. By far, a lot more comfortable than the predecessors and lighter but after being wrapped on the pads a few times over in Cambs Cricket Barn this winter there’s no loss in the level of protection for the change. New white pads will be the same as these but with minor aesthetic tweaks.
- First edition M&C gloves, standard kind of design with 4 splits on each finger and pittard palms, again will be updated in April
- 2023 Morton Keeping pads and gloves, pretty much runs the same sort of aesthetic as the yellow pads, comfy and do a job as I caught a ball with them on. Suppose that helps?
OTHER BITS- Masuri Titanium lid (2016) won in their comp when England played New Zealand. Still going strong but will probably change to a Shrey Air Ti in the coming months.
- Spiked up puma trainers, bought as a sample from over in Asia they just seem to do the job. Comfy and stable but they do get quite warm though as it’s fully leather/pleather on the upper. Might look to get some more though.
- My trusty
@StrettonFox Sports thigh pads which have also kept me going for a good number of years now! Can’t rave about them enough. It’s been about 6/7 years since I got them and I’ve not needed any repairs, spare straps or anything. Rock solid!
THE BATS 3 x MKI bats that I’ve played about with on the shapes, ranging from the “big cheaty stick” (one with the yellow grip) to a lower profile stick same kind of deal with weights as well.
From left to right:
- (2lb 9oz) “players shape” with shorter blade/longer handle setup. 38mm edges, 64mm spine and about 4mm of concaving. Oval bottom hand, rounder top. Entering season 3 of use.
- (2lb 11oz) low profile blade again with a shorter blade/longer handle going on. mid-low middle, 37mm edges, 57mm spine and absolutely 0 concaving, traditional English style handle being a thick oval tapering all the way up. Heading into season 4 of use and still holding on.
- (2lb 13oz) dubbed “the big cheaty stick” it’s got 44mm edges, 68mm spine, 32mm toe and 24mm shoulders. It again has next to no concaving. Counterbalanced with a couple of grips and 4 cutoffs on the knob at the top. Semi-oval handle.
Anyway, enjoy the snaps. Might do more pictures of the bats next week.