Topic: A Head-to-Head Review (Read 18315 times)

petehosk · « **Reply #60 on:** April 15, 2010, 12:54:01 PM »

I will try to! I'm having problems enough deciding which bats to use for match bats!

But there have been a few nice surprises along the way, such as how SS bats have improved their quality!
Not sure how you rate the SS you have Str8bat, but my SS bats feel excellent!?

SillyShilly · « **Reply #61 on:** April 15, 2010, 12:56:00 PM »

Im guessing by SS you mean SillyShilly

petehosk · « **Reply #62 on:** April 15, 2010, 01:00:30 PM »

Of course!

Str8bat · « **Reply #63 on:** April 15, 2010, 09:44:10 PM »

Petehosk - I can only imagine how gigantic your task is if I am struggling with my mere 7 bats!!

Re the SS ( i mean the less prestigious indian ones, not SillyShilly masterpieces !) I am coming from the other end to you I guess. Have used them for years and now experimenting with other brands. HAve the utmost respect for SS. My last 2 year's match bat was an SS, the one before was an SS (possibly for sale soon) and who knows this year might again be an SS. But its going to be mighty tough if I choose only 2 out of this lot...

stew_ie · « **Reply #64 on:** April 17, 2010, 06:48:47 AM »

Hey guys,

here is the matrrixx picture gallery:

http://www.matrrixx.com/picture-gallery.html

Liam-SCCC · « **Reply #65 on:** April 17, 2010, 11:21:15 AM »

Quote from: Str8bat on April 07, 2010, 04:47:25 PM

So, here's more info on these bats and some more pics.

Scat and Laver have already been reviewed in some detail ( http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=4878.0 and http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=5443.0 ).

Next up is the M&H Distinction

This bat was custom made but ordered through Yash who has a good relationship with the folks over there.

I have been very apprehensive about this brand and all the stories about them having lost the past glory and so on and so forth. But when the Distinction came out it seemed to be custom made for my specs - Big (correction, humungous) spine, low middle and gentle bow. Agreed the edges are small by modern standards but this bat�s centre has more meat than I had ever seen on a bat (note: this was before the Laver arrived). So, I decided to give it a shot.

With the stock shape taking care of many specs that I would have normally given, the only additional guidance was the weight (2.10-2.12-ish) and to make the bat out of the best pinging willow regardless of grain and other facial cosmetics.

Result? The bat has turned out to be a belter. The willow face is not a looker which was a bit underwhelming when I first opened the box. But that feeling lasted only until I hit it with a mallet. Brilliant rebound and very nice pick-up. This and the Scat pick up the lightest among the bats in the Top 7 list. And the middle really is a beast! The shape tapers off quite a bit towards the edges so it is not as forgiving but I am not too bothered with that. I like big spines (with or without a big edge) because my zone of error when mis-hitting is more vertical along the blade rather than outwards towards the edges. If anything this bat doesn't carry much dead weight where I don't need it and hence picks really light.

The Distinction comes knocked in but I feel that this one still needs a bit of throw-downs and netting to hit peak.

To wrap up this post, a final word on the finish and the service. It is definitely a couple of notches down on the Screaming Cat and the Laver. I am not a stickler for bone finish, buffing etc but I do think a bat that costs this much should have better finish. I can�t comment on the service level of M&H but will say that it was great dealing with Yash. He is very diligent and responsive to customer requests. What had started as a discussion about a custom SS turned into this bat !

I went into M&H in Taunton yesterday, there were some awesome pieces of willow in there, not to mention Justin Langer's 20 odd tight grainer on the wall. The Distinction has such an awesome profile, there is so much wood for the weight. They also pick up amazingly well! If yours is anything like the ones I saw yesterday then this has to be your match bat, it would be a crime not to!

Str8bat · « **Reply #66 on:** May 16, 2010, 12:17:10 AM »

Liam - The M&H did end up being the match bat. Honestly, I didn't think it would against that kind of competition, but after a couple of back to back games, its gun status is firmly established. Massive massive ping and great balance. Haven't used the Scat, nor the Laver in a match but the M&H is definitely going to stay in the kit bag.

Liam-SCCC · « **Reply #67 on:** May 16, 2010, 07:28:46 AM »

Good stuff! That is one thing I find with M&H bats is that they ping really well.

peplow · « **Reply #68 on:** May 16, 2010, 03:52:53 PM »

fancy selling any of those bats to me

?? look beautiful!

Str8bat · « **Reply #69 on:** June 22, 2010, 07:53:05 PM »

Quick update on the M&H Distinction. I continue to be surprised by how good this bat has turned out to be. It was an impulse buy, very different from the profiles I am accustomed to and I didn't even pick it up myself before buying it. And it has turned out to be probably the among the top 2 bats I have ever used. Massive ping and superb balance. I am quite sure my bat speed has improved given how many runs I score hooking and pulling last weekend against some fairly nippy bowling. Not to boast, but of the 4 times I have used this bat, 3 scores of 80+ and a 155.

Big thanks to Yash for picking this awesome bat!

Str8bat · « **Reply #70 on:** October 24, 2010, 12:06:33 PM »

Here's a end of the season round up of how things panned out. When this thread started before the season, I was pretty certain that the Scat and Laver would take the heaviest workload. But there were a few surprises along the way. We played 35 matches this year and I have to admit that the Laver got no match play and the Scat got 3 overs before I decided to swap it for another. Now, this might sound like sacrilege but this situation has less to do with the quality of these 2 supreme bats than with the brilliance of 2 other bats - the M&H Distinction and the SS Sachin.

I have written several times about the M&H and will again emphasis how incredible this bat turned out to be. It has everything (except looks which I don't care about...in a bat) and then some! I think I scored close to a 1000 runs with just this bat including 3 tons.

The SS in Sachin profile is a much more familiar bat as I have used that profile for ages and its the one I feel most comfortable with. But this new incarnation is probably the best of the lot, mainly because it has the broadest and longest spread of the sweetspot. This was the bat I prematurely swapped the Scat for after 3 overs where I couldn't time the ball at all. Being in a difficult chase I panicked and changed the bat. The SS was a great ally in that match and several times after that as i used it almost uniquely in the last 1/3 of the season.

The Matrrixx seems to have a lot of potential which wasn't fully realised this year and I am looking forward to using it in 2011. Seems like once again it will be a difficult choice what to do next year. It would so much simpler to get rid of everything except the M&H and SS and never have to worry about these pointless debates but as many people on this forum know, that's easier said than done!!

maxy1 · « **Reply #71 on:** October 24, 2010, 12:18:42 PM »

Quote from: Str8bat on October 24, 2010, 12:06:33 PM

It would so much simpler to get rid of everything except the M&H and SS and never have to worry about these pointless debates but as many people on this forum know, that's easier said than done!!

haha im sure youd have no shortage of potential buyers ! there all pure bat porn !

GJ · « **Reply #72 on:** October 24, 2010, 05:33:56 PM »

Str8bat-Got any winter bat purchases lined up!? Sounds like you're turning into a bit of a PeteHosk...

Surprised you chose not to use the screaming cat much as most people would die to use one of those!! Bats look lush anyway.

Canners · « **Reply #73 on:** October 24, 2010, 05:39:39 PM »

let me know if u want to sell the screaming cat please

100 not out · « **Reply #74 on:** October 24, 2010, 08:23:48 PM »

there is a waiting list for that scat and laver

Author Topic: A Head-to-Head Review (Read 18315 times)

petehosk

Re: A Head-to-Head Review

SillyShilly

Re: A Head-to-Head Review

petehosk

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Str8bat

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stew_ie

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Liam-SCCC

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Str8bat

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Liam-SCCC

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peplow

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Str8bat

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Str8bat

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maxy1

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GJ

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Canners

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100 not out

Re: A Head-to-Head Review