How to use this section

1) Use the 'choosing the right bat' section below to establish the type of bat you are looking for. You will find information on willow, willow grade, grains, weight, 'pick up', handle and grip.

2) Feel free to email us to ask any question about your intended purchase should you wish and we will be delighted to respond and advise!

Choosing the right bat

Willow Source

Cricket bat willow is mainly sourced from England and Kashmir. The world's best raw materials are required to manufacture fine quality cricket bats. The timber Matrrixx use is Salix Alba Caerulea grown in England. The willow is harvested from renewable stocks across England and sourced from the woodyards of Essex and Suffolk. Only the highest grades of willow are hand selected for Matrrixx bats. 90% of worldwide cricket willow is grown in England and is globally considered to be the finest available. Kashmiri willow bats are aimed at the lower end of the market and are usually much heavier and less responsive. This is due to the higher moisture content from the growing conditions.

Willow Grade

Willows grow to a maximum height of 70-90ft with a  diameter of 3-4ft. The tree will be encouraged to branch out at about 10' in height and are generally grown in plantations. Trees grown for the manufacture of cricket bats are felled when they reach a circumference of about 56". As a natural product, even the finest willow will have some `blemishes` or `pin knots` and hence even a top grade bat will not always be 100% 'clean' however this will not affect performance. In older times the presence of a butterfly stain in fact was accepted as giving additional strength to the blade. In modern times cosmetic looks often overrule the truth. The density of the wood and consistency of the grain through the playing area of the bat is of vital importance to the end balance and performance.

There are four grades of English willow available on the market (Grade 1 to Grade 4).

There is a special (Grade 1+) willow available however this is is rare and used only for bats right at the top end of the market. Matrrixx all Limited Edition bats are manufactured with this willow.

Grade 1 - Used for manufacturers' top end bats. Blades will typically have straight grains, be unbleached and have very few imperfections (usually the playing area will be clean). Some red wood maybe present around the edges. 

Grade 2 - Fine quality willow but with a potentially higher red wood content (playing performance will usually be unaffected). Imperfections will be present in the form of minor blemishes and pin knots. Mostly will have straight grains and be unbleached. 

Grade 3 - Good quality willow but with some irregular grain patterns. Imperfections maybe present in the playing area in the form of stains and, overall, more prominent knots are likely. A higher amount of red wood will be present and the blade maybe bleached. 

Grade 4 - The lowest grade and sometimes bleached and often used for 'budget' bats but may play as well as some higher grades. Likely to contain more imperfections, including butterfly stains, knots and red wood. 

In terms of Matrrixx the following grades are used for the following bats and are available from BatPad:

Grade 1+ English Willow - £180

Grade 1 English Willow - £150

Grade 2 English Willow - £110 

The Matrrixx Junior Bats (sizes 5 & 6) are made from Grade 1 or Grade 2 willow and, again, are available from BatPad.

Matrrixx also stock bats in grades 3 and 4 however we at BatPad do not stock these as we believe for the prices we sell at we cover most budgets and offer fantastic value for money on the Limited Edition, Professional and Supreme Grades 

Grains

This is an area often overlooked by the bat buyer. The number of grains on a bat can provide a lot of information and two general considerations apply:

1) Performance. A bat with narrow grains, ie more grains across the blade, will give better performance from an early stage. Narrow grains indicate slow growth and results in a more responsive end product. However, narrow grain bats (12+ grains) will certainly not last as long and may, in the hand of a professional, be discarded after a few hundred runs. Wider grain bats will play very well over a period of time but perhaps not initially.

2) Durability, a wider grained bat, ie less grains across the blade and usually considered 5 or less, will last longer. Wider grains indicate quicker growth, allowing an early felling, and therefore giving younger and hence stronger wood. In the modern world, even the willow grower is subject to commercial decisions and it is very likely that quicker growth will be in favour.

In summary, more grains will give better response but potentially shorter life. less grains will usually give longer life. The happy medium? You certainly need to consider the standard of cricket you participate in but in general, around 6 to 8. BatPad is happy to advise you and, as far as possible, provide the number of grains you are looking for.

Weight

Heavier bats have a slower bat speed than lighter bats. The effort required to move the bat increases as the weight of the bat increases. A lighter bat will allow faster bat speed and increase the chance of middling the ball. A heavier bat will not be quite as easy to middle the ball with but, when you connect the ball, it will stay hit. All our bats are listed to within 1oz of their 'scale weight'. While this gives a good indication to our customers, 'scale weight' by itself does not indicate how heavy a bat will feel. Different styles of bats are designed for different approaches to batting, where pick-up and design, combined with weight, contribute to the performance of the finished product. When writing the bat descriptions we have been as accurate as possible to inform you which model best suits each type of player. Selecting the weight of the bat is crucial to maximising your performance as weight impacts on the way you bat. A heavy bat with a lot of wood in the middle will enable you to hit the ball a lot further than a lighter bat. A lighter bat will have a faster bat speed meaning you are more likely to hit the ball in the middle.

A bat that has an even weight distribution will have a faster bat speed than a bat that has its weight in near the toe. This means that a heavier bat with a good distribution of weight will have a faster bat speed than a light bat with a lot of weight in the toe.

In general, there are two major factors that contribute to the 'scale weight' of a bat.

Firstly, the type of willow used. Kashmiri willow has a naturally higher moisture content and this is the reason this type has a higher minimum weight than English willow. Secondly, the drying process. A cleft that has been allowed to dry over a long period of time will allow the craftsman to deliver a finished product with an even distribution of weight throughout the blade, contributing to a nice 'pick-up'.

While the weight of the bat you choose should be determined by personal preference, the following are general recommendations based on the position you bat in the order. Please use these as a guide only. For advice based on your build and style of play please email us and we will be delighted to assist.

Opening bat
A lighter bat is recommended, usually in the region of 2lbs7ozs – 2lbs9ozs. This is due to the faster bat speed required when facing the new ball. A heavier bat means that there will be a slightly slower reaction time. This can make the difference between playing the ball too early or too late.

No.3 & 4
A slightly heavier weight would often be required due to getting into a more aggressive style whilst still retaining the balance needed for facing faster bowlers. 2lbs8ozs-2lbs10ozs.

No’s.5, 6 & 7
One would generally require a heavier bat so that when you hit out the ball is sure to travel beyond the boundary. A good weight range for a middle order player would be 2lbs10ozs – 2lbs12ozs.

No’s. 8 & 9
This depends very much on your build and what feels comfortable to you. Players tend to use bats of around 2lbs12ozs in these positions. As you are very often required to stay at the crease it is not necessarily correct to have a big heavy bat.

No’s. 10 & 11
These are often very crucial batting positions as you may find yourself in a position where you are needed to score the winning runs. If you find that you are a pretty good timer of the ball and like a heavy bat (3lbs+) when in the final overs then a good balance is also crucial due to the way it improves your timing. If you feel that the bat has to be light and you cannot use a heavier bat we would recommend one in the region of 2lbs10ozs. Lower order batsmen should be still be very particular about the bat they use. Being in the lower order normally means you need every advantage you can get! Lower order batsmen normally do not have the skill that those batting up the order have. Having the correct bat can dramatically improve your batting performance.

Pick-Up

Can a heavy bat have a light pick-up and a light bat a heavier pick up? Yes! The bat maker and the moisture content of the raw product contribute to the pick-up. The manufacturers design and bat maker's skill in distributing weight, when working with a quality raw material, can certainly deliver a heavy bat with a light pick-up. For the bat buyer, it`s a very personal decision and one that has no rules. If slightly built you may choose a light bat with light pick due your physical characteristics but you could also decide to use a meatier and heavier tool to make up for your lack of 'beef'. Balance or pick up describes the bat's centre of gravity. If the bats centre of gravity is closer to the handle the pick up is quite poor. If the centre of gravity is approximately 8 inches from the shoulder then the pick up should be good. We do not advocate measuring for the centre of gravity – you should test the pick up using this method:

Hold your bat in your top hand and lift it using your normal pick up. The bat should not feel too heavy. If this is the case then you have a bat with good balance and pick up. A bat with a good pick up will allow for a better bat speed than a bat with a poor pick up. All Matrrrixx bats are hand crafted by master bat makers and we are particulary proud of the superb pick up of even the heaviest bats in our range. You truly will be amazed!

Like the selection of any sporting equipment, there is a compromise between fast bat speed and having a bat that has enough middle to get the ball to the boundary. Fast bat speed allows all manner of shots to be played, and adjustments to shots while the shot is being made. Heavier bats slow the bat speed down, but have more mass behind the ‘middle’ meaning the ball will travel further when hit properly. Simply put, the batsman has to decide whether he or she wants a bat with lots of weight that will hit the ball a long way, when it connects, or a bat that is lighter and allows you to hit the ball in the middle more frequently. Most players end up taking a middle path, selecting a bat with an average weight (2’10”- 2’12).

Handle

Matrrixx make their bats with an oval shape at the base of the handle. This provides more strength to the handle and helps to diffuse the shock waves created from the ball meeting the blade. The oval shape in the lower handle also gives the bat a better directional feel as it is difficult to grip the bat too hard with the bottom hand. You can only really hold the bat with the thumb and forefinger of the lower hand. This encourages the top hand to control the shot.

The oval shape also improves the pickup due to the mass being nearer to your body. Most batsmen that feel our oval handle will never revert back to a round one. If you want to improve your technical play then we strongly recommend the oval handle.

For many years, bats were available in both long and short handle. While long handle bats are still made, the short handled bat has become very much the norm. With diminishing customer demand for the long handle BatPad only stock short handled bats.

The construction of the handle itself has developed in recent years with the use of stronger Manau cane from Indonesia. It is important that the splice and handle are not oiled as this will have a detrimental effect on the glue used to fix the blade to the handle.

Grip

The size of a batsman’s hands can alter the specification of the handle. This is changed by applying extra rubber grips if necessary. Grips are available in all sorts of colours and textures. In terms of playability, the only real factor is the width that the grip gives to the handle - ie how it feels in your hand. Many players prefer to have two grips as many players believe this aids a lighter pick-up. Increasing the number of grips raises the centre of gravity and improves bat speed, as well as the feel of the bat. The number grips you have on your bat will be determined by personal preference. As a rough guide, our bat weights are measured with one rubber grip. Each additional grip will increase the bat’s weight by one and a half ounces. Too many grips can make the bat feel very heavy and seem lifeless. Most batsmen use one rubber grip however we would be pleased to provide you with more should you wish on making your purchase.

Summary
If you have any questions or queries about any of the above please do not hesitate to contact us.