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Page 1 of 2 Read this before you buy your next cricket bat.
With the price of cricket equipment constantly on the increase, more and more players are looking to the internet (Ebay for example) as a way of saving money on a cricket bat. Our advice to you is to think very carefully before doing so. We have seen many instances where players have purchased bats in this way and while the price may have been cheap (or apparently cheaper to begin with) in most cases the bats turn out to be of a lower quality than expected.
Why are cricket bats so expensive?
There are two types of cricket bats, cheaper and lower performing bats made from Kashmir Willow and the more expensive but best performing bats are made from English Willow. The very best bats are still individually handmade by highly skilled craftsmen (known as pod shavers) using a blend of traditional and modern bat making techniques. Due to world wide demand for high grade English bat willow, the price of willow has increased considerably in the last 5 years, this factor alone has added nearly 40% to the cost of cricket bats. Added to this is the labour cost of producing a hand made cricket bat. It takes several hours of careful shaping to produce a test match quality bat.
How is it possible that cheaper English Willow bats are available on the internet?
In general terms these bats are English Willow grown under subcontinent conditions. This is a fancy name for Kashmir Willow. English Willow, when grown under the hotter and drier conditions found in India and Pakistan tends to grow very differently to the same species grown under the cooler and wetter conditions found in the Uk. Hotter conditions lead to a heavier and more dense timber which lacks the rebound qualities found in the English grown timber.
Problems associated with purchasing bats off the internet (Ebay, Non Cricket Specialists, India)
You get what you pay for.
The only way to produce a cheap bat is to use low quality materials in its construction. If the the price is very cheap then it is more than likely that the bats are made from Kashmir Willow (English Willow grown under subcontinent conditions) in combination with very low quality handles. A top grade handle generally has 3 rubber springs and high quality binding. Cheaper bats usually have only 1 (or two at the most) rubber springs and are bound with a poor quality string or twine. Remember it is the handle that gives the bat its whip and feel- the better the handle, the better the over-all performance of the bat.
Warranty.
Generally there is no warranty associated with the purchase, this is especially the case if you are purchasing from a sub continent based company. If the handle breaks (which it probably will) then you are up for the cost of repairs (around $100).
Weight / Balance
There is no guarantee that you will get the weight of bat you want. If you do, there is no guarantee that the bat has been balanced properly. Bats made to a subcontinent design are notoriously toe heavy (it costs around $80 to have a bat rebalanced).
Shape / Playability
Is the shape of the bat compatible with your style of play? Is the hitting centre positioned in the best place for the
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