You may have seen Cricketers with a dozen bats in their kit, shuffling each one out across various net sessions, a kind of trial and error to find out the perfect fit for the match.
Although not all of us can afford this, most of us select a bat and swear by it for more than 3-4 years.
Finding a Cricket bat that’s perfect for you is never easy, it involves visiting multiple shops in your locality, scrolling miles and miles in websites for the best deal, asking your friends if they know an expert.
It is a necessary evil, but a pleasurable task, However, in today’s day and age, with centuries of research and analysis, there are loads of options out there, each tailored for a particular type of Player.
Here are the steps to find out the perfect bat for you:
Kashmir Willow or English Willow?
The first and foremost question that comes to mind is- Kashmir Willow or its English Counterpart?
Despite the fact that Kashmir willow is harder and cheaper than English willow, the latter has better rebound quality, the extra bucks you shell will definitely make a difference in the runs you make.
Both willows are obtained from the same tree, thus there isn’t much difference in the durability of English and Kashmir willows, though English Willow is softer and requires better care.
To top it all off, English Willows are generally lighter, which ensures greater bat speed and a superior performance.
Know your position in your team:
If you are an opener, or even in the top 4, you will encounter the new ball, which is shiny, harder and may leave marks on your bat.
Being an opener, you will encounter a lot of seam and pace, the bat must be a high-quality English Willow, which is light in weight so that you can react faster to late swings and quicker deliveries.
I would further recommend you to select a bat with thicker edges, so that there is a better chance of survival if you nick one by mistake.
If you are a finisher, or a pinch-hitter, you can go for the aforementioned high quality, since a better bat will help you clear the fence more easily and you can smack those out of the park without worrying if your bat can take it.
A lower middle order batsman, who is likely to be an all- rounder, should have a strong bottom on the bat, considering that the player usually comes out to bat in the slog overs where Yorkers are normal.
It is also recommended that the bat should have a toe guard.
A bowler coming out to bat need not have a higher quality of bat, you should have a toe guard to protect your feet though, since there shouldn’t be a scope of an injury.
Being a bowler, the budget cuts on the bat can be transferred into higher quality of shoes so that you can continue doing what you are best at, with the best equipment.
Your batting style
Your batting style has a huge impact on the bat you choose and vice versa. If you play more deliveries on the front foot, it is better to have the sweet spot on the lower middle part of the bat, since that is the point of contact when you use your feet.
Similarly, if you are a backfoot player, you may be facing a greater amount of bounce, it is better to have thickness around the upper middle part.
Importantly, you must count the number of grains on your bat, a greater number of grains is synonymous with the performance. Furthermore, a bat with a short handle and a larger blade size will provide a greater room to play.
Keep in mind that your comfort is much more crucial than commonly used handle size.
Budget
Ah, everything boils down to your budget, how big will be that hole in your pocket? English Willow bats are much more expensive than Kashmir Willows, ranging from INR 3000 to more than 50000 rupees, while Kashmir Willows range from Rs 1000- 4500.
If you are reading this article to buy a bat for your 9-year-old child, who is discovering his/her way into leather ball cricket, wise choice will be to go for a Junior grade Kashmir Willow.
The child is still taking baby steps, and in the future, there are chances he may get invested into other sports or bowling, thus spending a huge amount won’t work out.
However, if the child shows promise, you can invest after taking advice from a coach or your own judgement.
On the other hand, if you are playing professional cricket, it is wiser to invest in higher quality English Willows.
Size
Again, the size of your bat depends on your personal comfort, here’s a size chart that may help you.
| Bat size | Height (cm) |
| Size 4 | 145-150 |
| Size 5 | 150-158 |
| Size 6 | 158-163 |
| Harrow | 163-169 |
| Full | 170+ |
I would further recommend to actually go to a sports store, keeping the aforementioned points in mind and go for a bat that suits you and you love.
Unless you are tightly on a budget, don’t be afraid to shell out a few extra bucks, a bat is something you will swear by for a long time and it is worth the investment if you love the sport.
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