The Bat - June 2025

As a cricketer, whatever level, finding the bat and blade that suits you best can take months and years. I played for over 20 years from junior cricket through to late club days, and my own panoply of bat of choice evokes good and bad memories. 

Firstly, you cared for your bat. The knocking-in, the linseed before covers, the grip, the handle, the toe.

The list was endless. From last to first, each blade ranked. 

SS Junior Jumbo 

This was my first bat and probably the "go-to" then of any junior cricketer. I was ten years of age and the Jumbo was the bat of Viv Richards with a decent middle, although at that tender age I barely could hit it off the square.

Reliable and never cracked - a good servant. 

A solid 7/10 

Gun and Moore Maestro 

The Gatting Bat. Blue and Green go harder stripes down the back but quite a heavy pick-up at a young age. Seemed wider than most and didn't have for long. 

5/10

Symonds Tusker 

Absolute tree trunk of a bat. Weighed a ton, bottom was like a chair leg and far too heavy. 

4/10

Duncan Fearnley 405 

The Graeme Hick blade to remember his epic quadruple century for Worcester - presumably made without facing any short ones.

This was ultra-light and thin at the back, certainly one for touch players. Durability was limited and cracked easily and always found it too light. 

6/10

Slazenger V100 

Scored my first hundred with his epic piece of wood. Inherited from a player who had no need for it, I loved this bat.

Looked old, but had a nice grip and one of the best middles that just pinged off if you caught it right. Used the V12 briefly, but I much preferred this one although was devastated to get a little over a year from it. 

8/10

County Reflex 

At the time, considered more of the flashier bets and I managed to get a discount courtesy of former Gloucestershire and Worcestershire batter Bob Lanchbury - who I was told hit it hard. 

Really lightweight with a fair middle but the bottom cracked early and the handle too long. 

6/10

Eason 

The time of the Adam Hollioake Eason sponsorship - as I used the gloves, pads and bat and recall not a lot wrong with this. 

6/10

Kookaburra 

Horrible - couldn't hold it.

2/10

Gray Nicholls Dynadrive 

One of my favourite ever bats. I was a confirmed GN man by this stage and the Dynadrive was a beauty. So sleek and light with a double scoop at the back, the best pick-up and middle of all used.

To play a cover drive with this was easy, a pure timers' bat. 

Upgraded to a Strauss Dynadrive in later years and while a bit bulkier (and costlier) was always the most trusted source of runs. 

10/10

Powerspot

Another of the Gray Nicholls club and the Mike Atherton red and light blue weapon that was used in the early 1990s ran the Dynadrive close. I played an offside drive with this on tour in the Isle Of Wight at Ventnor's famous bowl ground and I've never timed anything as sweet in my whole life.

Lean and in bang, it went. 

A superb tool for the sweep too as was so light and I loved the electric blue handle that wrapped into my gloves with a great feel and the square bottom somehow seemed to help the stance, as I was a very fidgety player before a bowl was bowled. 

9/10