Which bat to buy?

DonJee

Tape Ball Captain
Joined
Aug 28, 2006
Runs
1,129
Salam all,

I currently have a woodworm bat, I don't play cricket that much but I'm off to Pakistan in January and I'm planning on playing cricket there!

My budget is £150 (in delivery) - which bat shall I buy? And whom shall I buy it from? Would it be better to buy it from Pakistan somewhere, if so, where in Pakistan can I buy it?

If I can buy it online here somewhere that would be much better!

Lightweight and thick bat ?

Thanks
 
Walakiumasalam Bhai,

Hope you're well!

Can you please tell me where will you be going in Pakistan?

BarakAllah Feek
 
I am not sure about any stores in Multan which sell authentic stuff.

There are very slim chances of getting a light thick English bat. However, if you get bat shipped from Pakistan then I would say get it either directly from the factory or sailkotshop.com. If you need anything from UK then use uzisports.com

Pakistani bats are usually thick, however, thickness of a bat is related to the cleft being used. It seem like you want to slog so I would say that go for AS V10 or MB Malik Bubber Sher (Or Limited Edition). Both of these bats come in light weight and do have thick edges. Here is review of my MB LE (below) have a look at it and let me know how do you like it.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?t=109988

Let me know what you think.

Also is there any specific brand you have in your mind which you wish to buy?

Bear with me as I was in rush.

If you have any question please don't hesitate asking.
 
Thanks for the reply - I've just had a look at uzisports , is that site trustable, have you had personal experience with uzisports? How long do they take to deliver?

So MB Bubber Sher or AS? I like the Newbury bat aswell especially the one you posted in your thread! Thanks
 
Where are you based? If in England I would suggest you buy SAF, H4L or Redback. Some of them have end of season sales. Would not hurt trying to contact them.
 
DonJee, Yes UziSports service is exceptional. That Newbery you see is fron Asad Bhai at UziSports.

He is top bloke I must say
 
Where are you based? If in England I would suggest you buy SAF, H4L or Redback. Some of them have end of season sales. Would not hurt trying to contact them.

Yes, I live in Watford - have u got any numbers or website?

DonJee, Yes UziSports service is exceptional. That Newbery you see is fron Asad Bhai at UziSports.

He is top bloke I must say

So Bhai please suggest which bat should I buy? You have extensive experience in this! Thanks
 
How is this?

allegiance.jpg
 
So Bhai please suggest which bat should I buy? You have extensive experience in this! Thanks

LOL, as I said earlier if you want a bat which has massive edges and is light then go for Pakistani bats as English bats don't have thicker edges like Pakistani bats.

Do you mind telling me what is your playing style and what do you like to do? I mean do you like to slog, play strokes etc.

http://www.safbats.co.uk/

There are handmade and fully customized to your request.

http://www.redbackcricket.com/

There are also handmade and customizable.

http://www.hell4leathercricket.com/

Talk to them all. They might have some offers.

Do you know that Gary and Andy press there bats at Newbery whereas they only shape there bats at there warehouse.

How is this?

allegiance.jpg

It is really good but it doesn't have those massive edges you are looking for.
 
Salam all,

I currently have a woodworm bat, I don't play cricket that much but I'm off to Pakistan in January and I'm planning on playing cricket there!
...
Thanks

If you are going to play in Pakistan, why would you want to buy a bat in UK? There's PLENTY of top quality Pakistani bats - CA, AS, Malik, Ihsan ... and they are MUCH cheaper than UK bats.
 
If you are going to play in Pakistan, why would you want to buy a bat in UK? There's PLENTY of top quality Pakistani bats - CA, AS, Malik, Ihsan ... and they are MUCH cheaper than UK bats.

Everyone has those bats in Pakistan - I want to take something that isn't there! Something unique! Going to buy the Newbury Krakatoa (Players)
 
Do you know that Gary and Andy press there bats at Newbery whereas they only shape there bats at there warehouse.

So is it not better to buy from Gary or Andy if they will be cheaper than Newbery. Also you can not customize a Newbery profile unless you want to pay 1000 pounds.

I would be more comfortable talking to the guy who will shape my bat!
 
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Everyone has those bats in Pakistan - I want to take something that isn't there! Something unique! Going to buy the Newbury Krakatoa (Players)

Since Krakatoa has a low sweetspot you will feel it tad heavier than what you actual see as weight. The further away the mass from your hands/handle the heavier you feel.

If you are not much of a stroke player then don't get Krakatoa. Bats which have low sweetspot are basically for drives.

Have a look at Thruxton. That bat has bigger middle and will feel more lighter than Krakatoa.

Also Pakistani balls are quite hard and some are cheap so your good bat will surely be damaged.

So is it not better to buy from Gary or Andy if they will be cheaper than Newbery. Also you can not customize a Newbery profile unless you want to pay 1000 pounds.

I would be more comfortable talking to the guy who will shape my bat!

Everyone has different opinion. It's not necessary that we (me and you) think alike. Personally I am not very fussed over custom made bats as they are pretty much similar to floor models.

If you have contacts then you can get a custom bat made at Newbery for a cheaper price compare to £1000.

I remember talking to ca_gold Bhai once an he raised very interesting point and it was that "I would rather buy a bat from a established batmaker rather than a one who doesn't even have his own pressing machine"
 
Uzair bhai your opinion has changed over the last couple of months? You always said Gary was a top batmaker. And SAF as you know won the AOC top bat award this year.
 
Uzair bhai your opinion has changed over the last couple of months? You always said Gary was a top batmaker. And SAF as you know won the AOC top bat award this year.

I am still saying Gary is a top bat maker and I don't think there is doubt about that. I always thought Gary pressed his bats in Devon and also thought Andy pressed his bats at his warehouse as well. I was just sharing piece of information which I gathered lately. In

Don't get me wrong here. But personally I still like Redback Allegiance and Paradox (both) and would love to buy one if Gary start using PayPal or any method which is convenient for me. Right now he only accepts funds from bank transfer which cost around 30 Pounds from my RBC account.
 
is it just me or is prodirect having a serious sale - especially on the older Puma models. i think you can pick up a 6000X in the $250 range.......CD do you have any experience with them? they also put up the photo of the bat on the page....im wondering what the weight is and if they will knock off the VAT?
 
is it just me or is prodirect having a serious sale - especially on the older Puma models. i think you can pick up a 6000X in the $250 range.......CD do you have any experience with them? they also put up the photo of the bat on the page....im wondering what the weight is and if they will knock off the VAT?

Yes, around this time ProDirect usually have very good sale going on.

I am not sure but do you remember a poster usman_ash14? He bought Salix Daemon Grade 1 for something around $220 (I believe) and it was very nice stick. Lately Sherry Bhai was dealing with them and he didn't find a positive experience as they took a while to reply.

Yes, they do knock of the VAT if you get the item shipped to Canada.

Hope it helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions
 
http://www.prodirectcricket.com

Has good bats! Well within my range! CD bhai please recommend me a bat! For a slog around, i'm not a proper player just have a slog around, I'm a keeper mainly and I can bat a bit batting is not my forte! What do you recommend? I've had a look and below are the ones I find intresting...please have a look and tell me where to go!

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/lists/adidas-libro-cricket-bats.aspx ????

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...et-Bat-Cricket-Bat-Pro-Direct-Cricket-35.aspx ???

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...Cricket-Bat-Pro-Direct-Cricket-Bat-10282.aspx ??

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...h-Willow-Pre-Prepared-Cricket-Bats-13401.aspx
 
http://www.prodirectcricket.com

Has good bats! Well within my range! CD bhai please recommend me a bat! For a slog around, i'm not a proper player just have a slog around, I'm a keeper mainly and I can bat a bit batting is not my forte! What do you recommend? I've had a look and below are the ones I find intresting...please have a look and tell me where to go!

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/lists/adidas-libro-cricket-bats.aspx ????

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...et-Bat-Cricket-Bat-Pro-Direct-Cricket-35.aspx ???

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...Cricket-Bat-Pro-Direct-Cricket-Bat-10282.aspx ??

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...h-Willow-Pre-Prepared-Cricket-Bats-13401.aspx

I had a look at the links you provided and personally I don't rate Adidas very high as I haven't heard much about them nor I have seen many people owning them so I am not attracted by Adidas. From the links you provided I would say go for Gray Nicolls as I find Gray Nicolls bats much better than Adidas.

Again Gray Nicolls Nitro will not have thick edges of which you are looking for. But Gray Nicolls bats are good. They take time to open up but once they open they go like a bullet!

For slogging I'd recommend MB Malik Bubber Sher or AS V10, however, if you wish to buy from Prodirect then I would say buy Puma instead of Adidas.

Among the following brands is there any brand which you like the most? Depending on your selection I can then narrow down my search and will try my best to choose best bat for you.

Gray Nicolls, Gunn & Moore, Adidas and Puma
 
CD bhai I like the Adidas quite a lot actually, but that's from the pictures really especially this one:
http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...et-Bat-Cricket-Bat-Pro-Direct-Cricket-35.aspx

Gray Nicolls seems very good as well! Anything that won't break in Pakistan! I'm not blind slogger not a proper batsman lol this looks good:
http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...h-Willow-Pre-Prepared-Cricket-Bats-13401.aspx

As stated earlier Adidas bats aren't impressive it's just they have designed the stickers so well that it make people like them. I haven't seen many people using or reviewing them.

Gray Nicolls is good and would satisfy you. However, you will need to prepare it well in order to get best performance out of it. From Incurza and Nitro I would say go ahead with Nitro. The stick they have looks good as well.

Opener Bhai: JazakAllah Khair, never knew that.
 
As stated earlier Adidas bats aren't impressive it's just they have designed the stickers so well that it make people like them. I haven't seen many people using or reviewing them.

Gray Nicolls is good and would satisfy you. However, you will need to prepare it well in order to get best performance out of it. From Incurza and Nitro I would say go ahead with Nitro. The stick they have looks good as well.

Opener Bhai: JazakAllah Khair, never knew that.

Is the price OK? £140 + £6 delivery?

Also what do I need to prepare it, The woodworm I had was 'pre-knocked' so I just played with, do I need to oil this? or knock it in?

I'm going ahead with this one:
http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...h-Willow-Pre-Prepared-Cricket-Bats-13401.aspx

Thanks
 
from the prodirect website - id go with the puma 5000, GN powerbow, or GN Nitro pro performance.

all of these are grade 1 - and amazing value for the money.

i'd even be tempted to go with a grade 2 grey nicolls - as they go like trains once they open. Did you notice the prices - that 5* GN are like 115 bucks or something like that. that bat sells for 275 in canada!

but i dont know what your budget it. and if you want a purely slogging bat - CD is right - asian may be the way to go.
 
Is the price OK? £140 + £6 delivery?

Also what do I need to prepare it, The woodworm I had was 'pre-knocked' so I just played with, do I need to oil this? or knock it in?

I'm going ahead with this one:
http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...h-Willow-Pre-Prepared-Cricket-Bats-13401.aspx

Thanks

At Gray Nicolls's website it says £199.99;

http://www.gray-nicolls.co.uk/categories/bats/products/nitro/

Once you get your bat post pictures and I will tell you what to do.

Bhai, if you have anymore question please don't hesitate to ask.
 
from the prodirect website - id go with the puma 5000, GN powerbow, or GN Nitro pro performance.

all of these are grade 1 - and amazing value for the money.

i'd even be tempted to go with a grade 2 grey nicolls - as they go like trains once they open. Did you notice the prices - that 5* GN are like 115 bucks or something like that. that bat sells for 275 in canada!

but i dont know what your budget it. and if you want a purely slogging bat - CD is right - asian may be the way to go.

GN Powerbow Carbo is around $159 which is sold for $300+ at AK Pro or Qasra.

Yes Don, as I said earlier once GN bats open up they go like train so your investment in 5 Star would be worth it. Especially since you will be playing in Pakistan it would be very good for there standards.

also do you know who makes addidas bats CD? i have no idea

I think Adidas SRT are made by BAS so I am guessing same for these as well.
 
Thanks asad bhai - you should carry some of the new SG line.
The SG don't export to UK hence no retailers in UK have their bats on their web site.
Once they do start exporting we will definitely get few.

Regards

Asad
 
Where we I buy SG Sunny Gold? Its not available on Uzi Sports!

I also live In Watford, the shop I go to purchase Cricket bats or equipment is Cricket direct which is in St Albans.
Btw do you play for any local club ?
 
Been out and about!

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...en-Cricket-Bats-Pro-Direct-Cricket-13350.aspx

Ordered already! Should be here soon! Will post pictures as it comes! I think they come pre knocked! CD bhai what to do to make it, as you say, "go like a train"?

Thanks

Great choice in the end. I hope it turns out to be a beauty and perform really well.

All bats are "pre knocked" but you still have to knock them more.

In order to get bats optimal performance especially Gray Nicolls you will have to spend a lot of time in knocking the bat. My Gray Nicolls took one season to reach its peak and one season of knocking is a lot. So again you will have to knock it like no tomorrow.

Let me know if you have any more question(s)
 
donjee, did you talk to the folks at prodirect? i tried calling their number, but it just doesn't work. maybe because it's a toll free number (area code 0871) and i'm calling from the US... can't find an email address either. sent them a note from their contact us page, but that might have gone into a black hole (no reply)
 
donjee, did you talk to the folks at prodirect? i tried calling their number, but it just doesn't work. maybe because it's a toll free number (area code 0871) and i'm calling from the US... can't find an email address either. sent them a note from their contact us page, but that might have gone into a black hole (no reply)


Yes, their 0871 was busy for some time when I rang in the morning to check up on the order, rang around 3PM UK time and they confirmed the order said it should be with me within 3-5 working days! All looks good thus far!

Also the 0871 number is not toll free, costs around 6p a minute from UK!
 
A disappointing development:


Thank you for your recent order ref : ***********,

Unfortunately we must apologise as there was a problem despatching your order due to stock availability. The problem is:-

Item(s) [13350 - Gray-Nicolls Evo Atomic Cricket Bat - EW - Green ] is not currently in stock and we have therefore placed your items(s) on backorder.

At present, your credit/debit card has not been charged and the details remain secure.

Once again we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
 
DonJee,

From the two you mentioned I would say Newbery is the one. Keep in mind Newbery is a T20 style bat (meaning a inch shorter blade and inch longer handle). On the other hand, Gray Nicolls one have Carbon Fibre handle. Both are equally good bats but I would say Newbery Uzi as I have seen it and it is a very good bat. Although it is a 5 Star bat I would say it will still turn out to be good as Newbery's quality is superb.
 
Dude, you wanted an English bat so that it would stand out back in Pak right? Why don't you go for Solitaire? You can get it custom made to your specs for 100 pounds, could even get an exact replica of your Woodworm. Solitaires are known to be absolute guns, but might be a bit on the heavy side...

http://www.solitairecricket.com/solitaire_products_bats.html

You are virtually guaranteed a bat noone else will have back home :)
 
Dude, you wanted an English bat so that it would stand out back in Pak right? Why don't you go for Solitaire? You can get it custom made to your specs for 100 pounds, could even get an exact replica of your Woodworm. Solitaires are known to be absolute guns, but might be a bit on the heavy side...

http://www.solitairecricket.com/solitaire_products_bats.html

You are virtually guaranteed a bat noone else will have back home :)

Is it order over the phone only? Could ask them for a similar bat to Boom Boom bats? with massive edges?
 
DonJee Bhai what Salman Bhai is recommending (Solitaire) is a good choice BUT at the same time I would say it is somewhat a gamble. The reason why I am saying that is because I have seen few people ordering Solitaire and getting disappointed with the final product and I have also seen some who are over the moon.

The worry is that some people have gotten bats which were not according to there desire weight range. I mean if someone wanted a 2.8 lbs a bat turned out to be 2.14 lbs and they were disappointed. By saying that I am not saying that Roger makes poor bats or is not a good guy. No, its not that, Roger is a top bloke and a very knowledgable bloke.

Did you see uzisports.com ? They have great bats and there service is exceptional
 
I recommened one of max grainer bats frm Ajit they only cost £80 but they play like Limited Edition quality bats and also you can have them custom made to ur specs.
 
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Majid bhai from personal experience AS V10 is much better than Max Grainer. He wants a different bat than usual but it should be atleast as good as Pakistani bats. Also Ajit says that he ships them now with a better handle but the old handle was very ordinary.
 
Opener Bhai, old handles on max grainer bats werent poor quality but they just had 2 springs in the handle, even thesedays lots of brands still have 2 spring handles like puma & mh etc.
If Donjee wants a bat to use in Pakistan against rock hard cricket balls then I would recommend him a hard pressed english bat for example newbery kratoka or Slazenger midrange bat, these bats are pressed really hard so they wont get damaged easily if you uses them against poor quality balls and they are perfectly suited and made to be used in club cricket.
 
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Am really surprised at how the Sher and AS bats etc go in PAKISTAN- most of the ones that I hav seen (in Australia) are really softly pressed....

Or is it the case that not many in Pak use the higher graded bats or maybe use heavier bats?
 
I'm wondering about that too. Do they save the better bats for export and sell the rest locally?
 
I'm wondering about that too. Do they save the better bats for export and sell the rest locally?

Of course! Bats which are exported are certainly better in terms of quality compare to local bats. This is because they have greater margin of profit in exporting bats rather than selling them locally.

As far pressing is concerned I believe the bat makers are aware of this fact. I mean they know that since Pakistani balls are hard, hence, they make hard pressed bats for local market compare to export quality bats which are soft pressed.
 
Do you know this for a fact (as in you talked to some batmakers) or just speculating? Sounds plausible enough, but just wondering if you have first-hand knowledge of this...
 
Do you know this for a fact (as in you talked to some batmakers) or just speculating? Sounds plausible enough, but just wondering if you have first-hand knowledge of this...

I have spoken to one or two retailers and batmakers regarding this and they have told this to me.
 
Pro Direct are massive - they probably are very busy with it being the run up to christmas.
 
Hmm I wonder how busy they are. Perhaps they intentionally kept the line busy....

It looks like ut, tried caling after every hour today, was busy all along! Not responding to any email, I'm stuck as they have charged my card as well!

Pro Direct are massive - they probably are very busy with it being the run up to christmas.

So busy that they can't reply to an email after 72 hours? or have a busy line ALL DAY??? Comon!
 
It looks like ut, tried caling after every hour today, was busy all along! Not responding to any email, I'm stuck as they have charged my card as well!



So busy that they can't reply to an email after 72 hours? or have a busy line ALL DAY??? Comon!

Probably that busy yes.

Try this alternative number - 0870 60 80 442
 
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Probably that busy yes.

Try this alternative number - 0870 60 80 442

thanksm got through to the customer service!

http://www.prodirectcricket.com/Pro...en-Cricket-Bats-Pro-Direct-Cricket-13350.aspx

They say it's out of stock! Guy says there was probably a glitch on the website and it have have shown to be in stock!

They'll returning the money until the bat comes back in stock and once it has they'll charge my card again and disptach but they have no time-frame as to when it is going to be available!!

I'd thought such a big company might have re-ordered pretty quickly to keep the customers happy! No luck with the new bat! :':)pissed::69:
 
Of course! Bats which are exported are certainly better in terms of quality compare to local bats. This is because they have greater margin of profit in exporting bats rather than selling them locally.

As far pressing is concerned I believe the bat makers are aware of this fact. I mean they know that since Pakistani balls are hard, hence, they make hard pressed bats for local market compare to export quality bats which are soft pressed.


I dont think thatsv quite right CD.

Most of the bats that I have seen in Australia are bats bought from local Pak shops and then brought over by friends, family or the players themselves.

In that case they should have been pressed more coz its not "export" stock and actually for the Pak market.
 
I dont think thatsv quite right CD.

Most of the bats that I have seen in Australia are bats bought from local Pak shops and then brought over by friends, family or the players themselves.

In that case they should have been pressed more coz its not "export" stock and actually for the Pak market.

I mean if you get bats directly from the factory.

For example, if I have a store here (in Canada) and I wish to stock MB Malik bats so when I will contact MB Malik factory in Sailkot they will then send me export quality bats.

Of course if you go and pickup bats from the local stores then they wouldn't be export quality as that store is mainly targeting local market.
 
Just a follow up on my purchase

Dear,

Thank you for your recent order with Pro-Direct Cricket reference ********

Unfortunately we must apologise as there was a problem despatching your order due to stock availability. The problem is:-

Item(s) [13350 - Gray-Nicolls Evo Atomic Cricket Bat - EW - Green ] has been cancelled!

We apologise for not being able to fulfil this item and for any inconvenience caused. We hope you will find the time to visit our website at www.prodirectcricket.com where you will be able to find many suitable alternatives.

This after a month or so! I didn't buy any bat, going to buyMB Malik B.Sher when I get to Pakistan!
 
DonJee, prodirect are like this and you aren't the only one who experienced such thing.

Lucky is one who got his product quickly and on first order.
 
is prodirect reliable in terms of selling real stuff and good quality stuff? the website looks awesome, but i hadn't heard of them before. their return policy also seems very fair.
 
They sell genuine and quality stuff, no doubt about that but there service is poor. Just like DonJee Bhai many other people have been frustrated with there service mainly due to delay etc
 
It's a newer branch of ProDirect, they've got sites for football, running, tennis and rugby already. A friend of mine had to wait four weeks for a pair of football boots to turn up, but I've yet to have any problems with them.
 
is prodirect reliable in terms of selling real stuff and good quality stuff? the website looks awesome, but i hadn't heard of them before. their return policy also seems very fair.

they do sell genuine stuff, but personally i'd stay away from them. for starters, you can't select the exact bat you want. you specify a weight range (like light or medium) and then they send you something that may or maynot suit you.

i had ordered a GN Pro Perf light bat from them not too long ago. after a month got a 2'12 bat with crap grains :sami had to send it back. they refunded what i paid them, but i lost about $50 in return postage from US. also it takes a while for them to reply to emails (2-4 days)

not being able to see the exact bat i am buying or specify the exact weight is a deal-breaker for me
 
cricmall is good.. great servce..

Id prefer to have the bat in my hand before i buy next time though.. feel, weight and balance is the most important thing

ideally goto source...once ur in pakistan just goto as many sports shops or factories.. and get them direct and u can haggle like mad!

theres lots of models of bats..i prefer Malik bats..lite bow, feel light but lots of meat on the bat
ihsan..more of an openers bat, straightish. CA, bottom heavy.. depends on ur batting, stance, grip preferences

£140 - not bad
447.jpg


or bit more of a classic shape £99
449.jpg
 
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