Choosing A Bat - What Type?

Bats come in two flavours – English Willow and Kashmir Willow.  They are essentially the same tree, but the different growing environments (UK and Asia) result in a wood that has different properties and different prices.

• English willow comes in five grades (grade 1 being the highest quality and most expensive). It is lighter, springier and more expensive than Kashmir willow. An English willow bat is recommended for competent top and middle order batsmen who are not beginners.
• Kashmir willow is a harder wood, less springy than English willow and suited to lower order batsmen and beginners. Lots of junior bats are made from Kashmir willow.

Cricketers often refer to ‘straight grains’ when choosing a bat, this means that the face of the bat is free from knots and other imperfections. The pictures below show the difference:

Some minor knots and imperfections don’t affect your bat other than the way it looks  - if you want to know more about bats and how they are made try this website for details:  

At junior level (u11 and u13) – either type of bat will be fine, getting the size and weight right is more important!

Avoid the temptation to go for a big heavy bat as this will often restrict your ability to play shots correctly and can also cause wrist and lower arm injuries. You will play better cricket with a bat that is too small rather than one that is too big.