What Willow Do You Currently Wield

[Scumbag]

As my playing days are long over, my specific willow is quite aged. I have a Kookie Reaper from at least 5-6 years ago. I believe it was a Short Handle.

Size and makes please gents (and if any ladies have some willow, feel free to speak up).

This will be an awesome thread. icon_smile

Plus any general willow buying advice and performance/crafting discussion can be housed here also. icon_thumbs_u

 

[ningnangnong]

This thread will definitely be awesome.

I'll reply a bit later on and perhaps post a picture of my willow!

 

[Scumbag]

Haha awesome idea Nong!

This thread will indeed be awesome. I'm so looking forward to seeing your willow! :P

If you haven't owned any willow for many years, perhaps share the details of any bats you've owned in your cricketing career.

 

[Clintos]

I was a Grey Nicholls man.

U12's: Grey Nicholls Powerspot (Kashmir)

U14's: Grey Nicholls Powerspot

U16's Grey Nicholls Rapier 1000

U18's: Grey Nicholls Longbow 1500

Seniors: Grey Nicholls Matrix 1500.

I still have all except the Longbow.

 

[Jeza23]

My baby at the moment is the Puma Stealth 4000 which Watto used before switching over to Gunn and Moore.

It is a short handle, paid $275 for it, had it for about 5yrs now so its done me well.

Got the pink grip on to support the McGrath Foundation even though its currently a little frayed at the moment due to all of the batting I have done this season so far lol

 

[Scumbag]

Wow. That's a really nice line up there. All very nice bats to use. I would borrow a team mate's Nic every time one of my Kookies snapped at the splice area. I owned Kookies throughout my career since under 10's where I played right through to under 17's. I was only a Kookie man because a friend worked for The Greg Chappy Cricket Centre and could only get significant discounts on Kookaburra bats. I wonder why. Seriously, they all let me down. Not good.

I had a Sapphire (Kashmir), A Ridgeback (Kashmir), another Ridgeback which was my first English Willow, a PUMA just to mix things up (sensational bat, really nice and hardy, beautiful looking thing), a Bubble and then the Reaper.

I should have learnt when the Kookaburras kept epically breaking, but I didn't care too much strangely. Perhaps because I didn't possess as much skill as my team mates with the axe and didn't take it as seriously. Something like that.

Do you store them in your wardrobe or cupboard mate? My mate stores his old bats (he still has all of them that he's used through the years like you) indiviually stored each in an old cricket bag of which he has several.

Interesting though. icon_thumbs_u

Why were you a Grey Nic man? By all reports they were fairy decent though. I rated the PUMA I had though very highly as I say.

 

[Scumbag]

My baby at the moment is the Puma Stealth 4000 which Watto used before switching over to Gunn and Moore.

It is a short handle, paid $275 for it, had it for about 5yrs now so its done me well.

Got the pink grip on to support the McGrath Foundation even though its currently a little frayed at the moment due to all of the batting I have done this season so far lol

Is it an official licensed McGrath Foundation Pink Grip? [icon_wink Haha.

Or is just a randomly acquired pink grip passed off so generously to support the foundation?

I only ask because you can actually buy the so called "official" ones from the online merchandise shop section on the McGrath foundation website with the majority of the proceeds obviously going to the foundation. [icon_wink

 

[Clintos]

They are all in my wardrobe. Only the Rapier and Matrix are in bat bags. I don't care too much about the Kashmir and the other Powerspot is what I use whenever I decide to swing my arm over with mates or the old man.

I'm not too sure why I went got Grey Nicholls to begin with. Once I got my Rapier and I started scoring a decent amount of runs I decided that Grey Nicholls would be my bat manufacturer.

My favourite was the Longbow. It was a beautiful bat. I really regret selling it. The bowed blade helped a lot with my driving. It was perfectly weighted and had a huge sweet spot. I got my first century with that bat too - so that probably pays a part in it. Mind you, I did play for a much better team in U18's so I had the opportunity to bat a bit longer.

I used other people's bats in the nets occasionally, but they never seems as good to me. Gunn and Moore was probably the next best IMO.

 

[Clintos]

My baby at the moment is the Puma Stealth 4000 which Watto used before switching over to Gunn and Moore.

It is a short handle, paid $275 for it, had it for about 5yrs now so its done me well.

Got the pink grip on to support the McGrath Foundation even though its currently a little frayed at the moment due to all of the batting I have done this season so far lol

Is it an official licensed McGrath Foundation Pink Grip? [icon_wink Haha.

Or is just a randomly acquired pink grip passed off so generously to support the foundation?

I only ask because you can actually buy the so called "official" ones from the online merchandise shop section on the McGrath foundation website with the majority of the proceeds obviously going to the foundation. [icon_wink

Jeza bought the grip before the McGrath Foundation started making everything pink...

 

[Coxy]

I was also a gray nic fan...still have all my gear.

Under 12: Gray Nicholls Megadrive
Under 14: Gray Nicholls Elite
Under 16 to now: Gray Nicholls Ultimate

Also got given a CA bat from my Pakistani uncle...i used it to rig a few matches for QUT :P

Still have the CA, Elite and Ultimate.

 

[Coxy]

Also have my Gray Nicholls bag, thigh pad, arm guard, Test opener pads...only thing that broke the trend was the gloves. Got County ones. Had Gray Nicholls test opener gloves but leant them to someone, who lost them. So they replaced them with County ones. I've actually never used them...that's how long it's been since I played cricket, even in the nets.

 

[Jeza23]

My baby at the moment is the Puma Stealth 4000 which Watto used before switching over to Gunn and Moore.

It is a short handle, paid $275 for it, had it for about 5yrs now so its done me well.

Got the pink grip on to support the McGrath Foundation even though its currently a little frayed at the moment due to all of the batting I have done this season so far lol

Is it an official licensed McGrath Foundation Pink Grip? [icon_wink Haha.

Or is just a randomly acquired pink grip passed off so generously to support the foundation?

I only ask because you can actually buy the so called "official" ones from the online merchandise shop section on the McGrath foundation website with the majority of the proceeds obviously going to the foundation. [icon_wink

Grey Nicholls one which some money ($1 I think) goes to foundation.

Its good none the less icon_thumbs_u

 

[Jeba]

I was a Kookaburra man going through the juniors, started off with a Ridgeback then got a Bubble.

When I stepped up to senior cricket, my club had an old school GM. It was a heavy bloody thing, but suited me OK because I don't have a big backswing, and it had the sweetest middle of any bat I have ever used. As long as I hit the ball in the middle, no matter how much force I apply (or do not apply) from my swing, the ball goes a long long way!

I am playing in a Super 8's comp in a couple of weeks in the club's "old boys" team, hope the bat is still there!!

 

[Scumbag]

That's a good find Jeba. icon_thumbs_u

You really need to "steal" that beautiful thing from the club. That way there is never any worry that it won't be available. Did your Kookaburras suffer the same fate as mine relatively early in their cricketing lifetime Jeba?

I'm going to extend this thread to all cricketing equipment ala Coxy. icon_thumbs_u

I have had two pairs of pads in my lifetime, both Kookaburra. Both have been good buys as they have both been very hardy and held together nicely for long periods of time. I picked up a thigh pad and didn't have much choice for brand but I believe it's a Gray Nic. I got my first helmet at the age of 11 and have had the same one my whole life. I remember being silly and buying a helmet a little too big for me and having to use the Gary Kirsten style headband for a couple of seasons to compensate. Gloves were a huge problem as I was always wearing away the palms due to sweat. Always bought whatever was cheapest. Usually County.

Where did you guys get your gear from? Greg Chappell's was my first point of call. A-Mart if I got desperate.

 

[Jeba]

That's a good find Jeba. icon_thumbs_u

You really need to "steal" that beautiful thing from the club. That way there is never any worry that it won't be available. Did your Kookaburras suffer the same fate as mine relatively early in their cricketing lifetime Jeba?

They each served me well for years, and are now used as the backyard cricket bats!!

As for the GM, I could never steal that from the club. Playing without it would be like having only 10 blokes on the team. I was never a big fan of GM, but this is one fine piece of willow!

 

[Clintos]

I didn't change my gear too much. Maybe three times in my career, but only as I grew out of the previous stuff.

Pretty much all of my gear was Grey Nicholls too. I don't remember too much of my gear from when I was younger, but in U18's and Seniors I had;

- Grey Nicholls Rapier batting gloves
- Grey Nicholls Gladius pads
- Grey Nicholls box
- Grey Nicholls whites

I had a helmet, but I hardly ever used it. The one game I used it I was having trouble focusing on the ball through the face guard, and subsequently got out for a duck. I decided that helmets were rubbish, and didn't use it again.

 

[Coxy]

I bought my gear from Greg Chappell. Their catalogue was my most highly anticipated publication every year!

I always wore a helmet from U14 on. Even in the nets. The one day I didn't I got hit in the mouth and had my 2 front teeth smashed. Had to get the nerves removed from one. Painful!

 

[Clintos]

Greg Chappell for me too. I loved their magazines.

I used to get all their gadgets. I got that trampoline thing to practice catching and the skinny bat to practice timing etc.

It was great fun.