When it comes to buying a new bat, you’ll most likely want to know what kind of wood is used. English willow is the most popular choice for professional cricket bats out of various woods in cricket bats because it is the only wood that can give the strength and compression required for hitting cricket balls. The English Willow clefts are graded into various categories before it is supplied to the manufacturers. With the higher grade indicating the more outstanding quality of the timber. Of course, most buyers will opt for the highest grades possible in the price range they are considering. Using the Custom English Willow Cricket Bat is a suitable choice for getting a bat that suits your style.
Let’s find out what grading is and some of the valuable information regarding the English willow.
Generic Information About English Willow Cricket Bats
The majority of Cricket bats are made from Salix Alba Var Caerulea or English willow. It is a soft fibrous wood with the appropriate strength, compressibility and durability to operate in a setting. During manufacturing, the attributes of English willow are increased by drying and pressing the wood.
It is usual for all cricket bats to wear and tear with usage, and with contact speeds exceeding 80 mph, it is simple to understand why. Surface cracking on the face and edges of a cricket bat blade is normal wear and tear, and in these circumstances, the bat’s performance is unaffected. Misuse, mistimed strokes, poor storage, lack of maintenance, usage against sub-standard cricket balls, and use in moist circumstances can all cause damage to the wood. If the damage is visible on the bat, evaluate it right away.
It is essential to prep your new Cricket bat (knocking) and maintain it if you want to get the most out of it. Once the bat has been used, you must keep your bat as follows;
- Store at a controlled, steady temperature.
- Avoid using them against low-quality balls.
- Make sure the bat isn’t too slippery.
- Avoid excessively mistimed shots.
- It can involve any level of repair, as well as oiling, re-gripping, toe guard fitting, an anti-scuff sheet fitting to extend the life of your bat.
What Are The Different Grades, And What Constitutes A Good Bat?
From balance and pick-up to grains width, each bat has its unique qualities. Generally, the narrow grains willow has superior performance attributes but a shorter lifespan, whereas the broader grains willow lasts longer but requires more time to achieve peak performance. All clefts are graded based on some basic features and is done carefully by expert individuals.
It is to be noted that there are many companies that supply raw english willow clefts for manufacturing. So the grading criteria can be different for different suppliers. We will mainly talk about the grading done by J S Wright & Sons for a better perspective. For more understanding, let’s check some of the major grades one by one:
Very best Willow grade 1+ – This is the best willow you can buy. The blade is unbleached and, to a considerable part, contains 8-12 blemish-free straight grains.
Grade 1 willow: It is a rare type of willow which is good looking with minimum knots and specs. It has minimum 6 straight grains on cleft with a clean playing area. These clefts can have red wood on the edges.
Grade 2 willow: It is english willow with tiny flaws, redwood on sides, and somewhat uneven grains. These clefts have minimum 6 grains on the cleft and can have butterfly stains on them.
Grade 3 willow: These grade willows are abundant in quantity than other grades. It has minimum 5 grains on them and can have half or more redwood. These grade willows can have small knots and butterfly stains. There can be some prominent specs on the wood also.
Grade 4 willow: These grade willows are not good looking pieces of timber with knots, specs, redwood and butterfly stains. The grains are irregular and clefts are generally heavy.
There are many other grades of willow provided by different suppliers. Although above mentioned grades are some of the common grades available. It is to be noted that the features of different grades are not hardwired and some clefts can have variations and imperfections.
Why Anglar’s English Willow bat?
ANGLAR hopes to bridge the gap and contribute to this burgeoning sports culture by offering worldwide standard sports equipment to prospective players. This guide will provide you with a basic understanding of English Willow bat quality and grades. The quality of the willow determines the performance of English Willow bats. Based on their playing style, players must adequately pick the appropriate cricket bat. While a top-grade English Willow bat is the most excellent option, most intermediate-level bats may perform admirably.
Anglar offers English Willow Cricket Bats with different high grade editions like
- The Striker
- The Dynamic
- The Elegant
- Hitter Edition
- Dark Edition
- Limited Edition
- Reserve Edition
All the bats given above are customisable which will help cricketers get the best bat for their playing style and requirements.
Choosing the right cricket bat for you will help you enjoy this fantastic game even more. Before purchasing a bat, we strongly advise that you contact us to discuss your specific needs and let our experienced counsel guide you to a happy purchase!
