Topic: A Head-to-Head Review (Read 18313 times)

kenbriooo · « **Reply #30 on:** April 07, 2010, 09:30:52 PM »

Bloody hell that's a massive bat, actually like the thinner edges gives it more a classic look. Sounds to me thatvyou have already made your mind up and are going to be using the Scat and Laver

Str8bat · « **Reply #31 on:** April 07, 2010, 09:44:45 PM »

I have made up my mind only for the first game which is this coming weekend and its going to be neither of those 2 as they still need some more preparation. But honestly not finalised anything beyond that. Will post the next bat review (SS) tomorrow so you can see why I am in this dilemna.

Colesy · « **Reply #32 on:** April 07, 2010, 09:52:49 PM »

Any chance of profile pics?

Str8bat · « **Reply #33 on:** April 07, 2010, 10:05:35 PM »

Colesy, sorry mate, you'll have to wait until tomorrow but I can assure you won't be disappointed ...even if you do not like Indian bats (as a figure of speech, not implying that you personally don't like SS). Is that ok?

Colesy · « **Reply #34 on:** April 07, 2010, 10:09:03 PM »

Lol that's fine, no rush

I'm not a lover of Indian bats but they're growing on me

Str8bat · « **Reply #35 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:30:19 PM »

Next up is the SS Ton. Weighing in at 2.9/10, this bat is a Sachin profile (albeit lighter in weight). I wouldn�t call it fully custom for that reason but I do like the SRT profile a lot and so if I had it custom made from SS, that�s what I would have asked for. In fact, I am not a big fan of the stock SS shape as seen in the top end TONs. As you can see from the pics, there is a lot of wood in this bat especially at the edges and the toe. I could have done with an even bigger spine, without making it bottom heavy, but no major complaints. Compared to the Laver this one has thicker edges but a less imposing spine. Its also one of the most forgiving.
As with the other bats in this list, the rebound and balance is top-notch. I love the bow which is slightly more than the other bats but uniform and suits me well. 3 months ago, this bat was heading straight for my kit bag. But then things became more complicated with the arrival of some other bats. I have been using SS bats for years and this is the best I have personally owned. I got this bat more than a year ago and meant to use it last year but never got to it. In hindsight, I wish I had. It definitely beats my last year�s SS match bat (the blank one on the first page) which itself is an awesome bat that
brought much joy and many runs last season.

Watsontotty · « **Reply #36 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:33:05 PM »

Very unusual to have ss stamped so high on one edge and ton on the other, not sure I've seen that before.

Str8bat · « **Reply #37 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:47:44 PM »

The SS stamp is typically not on stock ton bats. But when it is there (e.g. in Sachin's own bats from 2008/09 season) it is usually quite high up on the inside edge

swamidude · « **Reply #38 on:** April 12, 2010, 04:16:11 PM »

I am very jealous right now...

Nah just kidding mate

Your bat's look ace!

Str8bat · « **Reply #39 on:** April 13, 2010, 09:59:58 PM »

Next up are 2 �Pro� bats. I know how misused this word is on the forum and what you might be thinking. I too am prone to a chuckle or two when I see that description.

But the fact of the matter is that both of the following bats were made for International level players. The question then arises, why were they not used by them? Please read on for more on this...

Yuvi�s Bat - The one that missed the plane. Not the bat, but Yuvraj himself. This bat was part of the set that was made for him in advance of the SriLanka test tour in 2008. But Yuvi was rested for the test series. And since I know the contract bat maker for Reebok (at that time) very well, it was a unique opportunity not to miss when he put this one up for sale. Now, some of you might (rightly) observe that there is no "TON" marking but instead a "Reebok" hot stamp. This was actually not that unusual in late 2008 when some contract makers were asked to put the Reebok stamp.

This 2lb8/9 has the best rebound I have seen in a bat. I remember intending to chip over the bowlers head once and watching the ball sail over for one of my biggest 6 ever with it. But unfortunately its also the least forgiving. The sweet spot is relatively concentrated to a smallish area and this for mere mortals like us is not a great thing. The middle is also a bit too high for me. And it is too concaved for my liking. That�s why this bat never became my match bat. But I still use it some times, when our opener falls too early and if the bowler is getting decent lateral movement, since this one has the lightest pick-up of all my bats. Not a great looking bat, nor the biggest profile but when it hits the middle, there is nothing to better it in my collection.

Str8bat · « **Reply #40 on:** April 13, 2010, 10:03:03 PM »

Mattrrixx

This bat was one of 3 bats that Sachin rejected. The reason given was that it was too light. I trust the owner of this brand who I have known for some time now. But whatever the reason, if a bat was in a lot that was shown to SRT that itself is a benchmark of quality. As should be fairly obvious, batmakers select the best willow for the Master, press it as best as they can, shape it to the template he has sent and then get it knocked in first by mallet and then by some league/state level players. So, even in the worst scenario you get a really good quality fully knocked in bat. Which this is.

As you can see from my previous post, the Sachin profile is one of my preferred shapes and so this fits the bill perfectly. Its got a decent amount of wood for its weight (2lb11), has a light pick-up and has a very nice bow to it. But the best part about is the ping. It is truly stunning!! The best of all my bats listed in this topic. Now, this could simply be because it is also the one that has been so meticulously knocked in already. I expect (hope actually given what I paid for it) that the Laver will knock the socks off it by the time it gets played in, but for now this one is top of the hill. The only thing I am missing is a semi-oval handle as this one is round but atleast it is made to Sachin standards and is robust and thick. And as pointed out in a previous post, the oval shape can be created without changing the handle.

Watsontotty · « **Reply #41 on:** April 13, 2010, 10:09:51 PM »

I will say it again bud you have some rather fine looking bats with very interesting shapes, i have also tried Matrrixx bats and found them to be very good although i did break it rather quickly but that was more down to me than the bat. It wasn't however a profile similar to yours which would suit me perfectly.

Colesy · « **Reply #42 on:** April 13, 2010, 10:11:34 PM »

I like the Matrixx stickers

christianpurchase99 · « **Reply #43 on:** April 13, 2010, 10:13:03 PM »

THATS HUGE!

Str8bat · « **Reply #44 on:** April 13, 2010, 10:18:27 PM »

Thanks for the feedback. The problem with Matrrixx (other than the brand name itself!) is that they are very heterogenous in quality. I know some people who have been disappointed with the stock bats. But their top stuff, custom made is absolutely bril. I have an ongoing arrangement with Ajit whereby he pings me every few months when he is in possession of a belter and that stuff is never shoddy. I had first heard of them on the Middlepeg website which only had quality gear. And got one made 4 years ago which was a really good one. But it wasn't until I saw with my own (very sceptical) eyes the bat that Sachin used for his 35th test ton in Delhi that I realised what Ajit's batmaker was capable of. Many Indian players regularly use his bat and softs e.g. Dinesh Kartik, Manoj Tiwary etc. But as I said earlier the off-the-shelf stuff is not always great.

Author Topic: A Head-to-Head Review (Read 18313 times)

kenbriooo

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Str8bat

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Colesy

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Str8bat

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Colesy

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Str8bat

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Watsontotty

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Str8bat

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swamidude

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Str8bat

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Str8bat

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Watsontotty

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Colesy

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christianpurchase99

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Str8bat

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