Kookaburra Cricket Bats

What you can expect from your Kookaburra cricket bat (these notes are a direct extract from their catalogue and represent their own views, though we thought it really useful to share).

In the production of our Cricket Bats Kookaburra use willow sourced in the UK from the World’s leading growers – in combination
with their definitions & experience the qualities of willow that you can expect to receive are as follows :-

JOS BUTTLER REPLICA GRADE

These bats are made from the same grade of willow which is used for Jos’ own bats & as such they are graded wholly on performance not appearance. If you are looking for a bat which has the potential to perform as well as those used by Jos, then these are the ones for you but if you are seeking a bat which has totally straight multiple grains & no blemishes then you would be best advised to choose another model.

PRO GRADE

The grain structure will have at least 6 fairly straight grains visible on the face but there also may be some red wood on the edge. The playing area should be clean but there may be small knots or specks in the edge or back of the bat.

1.1GRADE

Visually very similar to the ‘Pro’ but there will usually be more red wood visible & potentially the odd blemish or butterfly in the grain on the face of the blade; however, this will not impact on the performance of the bat.

2.1 GRADE

These bats will have around 5 grains on the face with potentially more red wood than the 1.1. The grains will not necessarily be straight & there will be some specks or butterfly marks on the grains on the face of the bat; however, they represent excellent value for money & are ideally suited to the Club player.

3.1 GRADE

There will be typically 4 grains with a greater proportion of red wood, more blemishes & marks on the face– again these bats offer excellent performance & represent good value.

4.1 GRADE

The grain structure will be similar to the 3.1 with potentially 4 grains visible on the face; however, there will be more stain in the wood making these bats less attractive visually but again performance will not be impacted.

5.1 GRADE

These bats have been selected during our production process for their performance, they will be more heavily stained than other bats but may still play as well as more expensive options.

6.1 GRADE

These bats have been selected during our production process on the basis of their performance, they will be more heavily stained than 5.1 Grade.

6.2 GRADE

These bats have been selected during our production process on the basis of their performance, they will be more heavily stained than 6.1 Grade.

6.3 GRADE

These bats have been selected during our production process on the basis of their performance, they will be more heavily stained than 6.2 Grade

6.4 GRADE(Pro Shield Face with Natural back)

These blades have significant staining & cosmetic marks which make it impractical for them to be sold as a ‘natural’ bat; however, these marks have no impact on the performance of the bat, and as such it perfectly possible to get an excellent ‘driving’ bat from this grade. To cover these blemishes, we developed our ‘Pro Shield’ cover which is a Durable Lightweight Anti-scuff type material with the grain of a cricket bat sublimated on to the face. This allows Players who have limited budgets to own a bat that looks cosmetically attractive.

6.5 GRADE(Pro Shield Face with Natural back)

These bats are similar in quality to the 6.4 but have heavier blemishes to the back of the bat making them unattractive to sell with the natural back – by applying a coat of paint to the back it allows us to produce an excellent entry level bat giving players on a limited budget to enjoy the performance benefits of English Willow at a low price.

Important facts to know

1. Many players look for a bat with a narrow grain structure as they feel that these bats will perform better. This can be the case albeit that the bat will not normally not last as long as one with wider grain.

2.A bat with narrow grains has been made from an older tree which is naturally more brittle & although it is can ‘play’ better more quickly it may not last as long as a bat with fewer grains. When buying a bat, it is obviously entirely your choice as to what you want the bat to look like, but you should be aware that narrow grained bats tend to break more quickly and that is not in any way a defect in the materials used or the workmanship and as such it is unlikely that these breakages will be covered by any warranty.

3.Imperfections in the face of the bat are purely cosmetic & do not impact upon how the bat performs - they can often add strength to the bat & mean that they can offer enhanced value for money.

4.In the modern world, climate change can also be seen to have an impact on the willow that is grown. it is increasingly common for trees to grow more each year which results in the grain being wider; therefore, in the future narrow grained bats could well become a thing of the past .As part of our manufacturing process, our bat makers evaluate every cleft of wood in determining what model we should produce from it. You can be sure that the quality of the bat you buy from Kookaburra is the best you can get from that particular quality of willow.