The Woodworm Hard Drive BLACK LABEL is not in fact the most expensive in the Woodworm range as it will only set you back around £199.99, I say only it’s still an expensive bat but you will soon be glad you parted with that sort of money as you will be the talk of your whole club when they know you have a Woodworm Hard Drive BLACK LABEL.

The Woodworm Hard Drive BLACK LABEL has a massive sweet spot as well as chunky edges and is made from the finest English willow money can buy with an unbleached natural finish to further show off the beauty of the wood and finished off with an Australian wax and anti scuff sheet. The bat is light and boasts a balanced pickup but then again doesn’t every bat? It has a new Octopus style grip which provides improved ventilation for those big run scoring exploits.

So is the Woodworm Hard Drive BLACK LABEL the bat for me I hear you ask well that all depends on your budget it is a fairly expensive bat but with Woodworm fast becoming one of the leading suppliers of Cricket equipment you are certain to get a good bat for your money. If you haven’t got that kind of money then there’s still plenty in the Woodworm range to suit your needs. All in all a fantastic bat, worth £200? Only one way to find out.

Another thing to consider when buying a bat is the price and this is where the Woodworm iBat Delta really stands out.

It not only has a large sweet spot combined with a light pickup it is under £80. The Woodworm iBat weighs in at between 2lb 6 oz and 2lb 10 oz and is made from grade 4 English willow make the Woodworm iBat DELTA the ideal bat for those on a low budget, of course with cricket bats you predominantly get what you pay for but with the advances in bat making in recent years you can be almost guaranteed a good few years use out of this bat.

Other things we don’t really consider when buying a bat is what goes off inside the handle, well this bat has a nine cane handle and bubble grip which can help reduce sweat and improve traction between glove and bat.

Of course the Woodworm iBat DELTA is only the entry level model in the Woodworm range so I’m sure there’s something out there for you if you have a larger budget or a heavier bat perhaps, the Woodworm range is sure to have something to suit your needs.

A Review and Report of Oblivion

Oblivion’s unique feature is its unusually large lower middle profile. This makes the bat stand out from the rest. The batsman get a pleasant surprise when he finds playing front foot strokes very easy due to the bigger lower middle profile.

The bow of the bat is low; they call it “Low Extreme Pro”. The edges are thick which is suggested by their branding under “Maximum Carbo”. The handle or the blade of Oblivion is made from the finest quality of 12 piece Cane. The handle is not only useful in playing but looks very handsome too.

The other important feature that I found while using this bat is its semi oval grip. This minor detail plays a significant part. A round handle easily allows the bat to twist in your hands but the oval handle prevents that from happening. It is next to impossible that Oblivion will twist in your hands if you are holding it firmly. This allows you to follow through properly and reduce the chances of lofting the ball high in the air. The grip brand is “Octopus”.

As most modern bats are, Oblivion is a fairly lightweight one. Its weight is recorded to be 2lb 8oz – 2lb 12oz. It comes in different sizes for different heights and statures, the sizes are SSH, SH, LH, LB Strike.

I used the Oblivion thoroughly. I tried to play all the key shots I could and the bat passed each test. It was the front foot shots that I enjoyed playing most by Oblivion.

Prices of Oblivion

Prices of oblivion start from £ 349.99. It may sound expensive, but in my opinion it is definitely worth this investment.

Evo was launched in early 2010 by Gray-Nicolls. The bat quickly became popular as it has impeccable strokeplay. Many batsmen who have used it say that it allows you to play shots freely and powerfully.

My review of Evo after “test driving” it

The overall profile of the bat is mid blade and its bow is even throughout. Edges are thick and fall in the “maximum” category of edges in bats.

Despite looking thick and heavy, the bat is actually quite lightweight. Different sizes of Evo weigh from 2lb 8oz – 2lb 12oz. During testing the bat I slashed quite hard at the ball to see how the bat fairs, and it turned out I could easily swing my arms.

The handle is made from Cane, finest 12 piece quality. More importantly, the bat has a semi oval grip handle. This keeps the bat from twisting in your hands during and after a shot. An entirely round grip handle often slips from the hands of a batsman. The grip on the handle is “Pyramid Slayer” design.

There are different sizes in Evo namely, SSH, SH, LH, LB, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and H. You can log on to the company’s website and see the size guide, so you can select what suits you. The bat I used before writing the review was of size SH.

The bat is primarily for elegant players who like to time the ball and find gaps. Hard hitters can use it, based on their adaptation skills, but they are expected to find it hard to hit the ball with force.

Prices of Evo

The prices of Evo are a bit on the higher side as Gray-Nicolls always is, but you get what you pay for. If you are willing to spend £ 349.99, Evo won’t be a bad choice at all.

The Icon DXM GM+ comes with huge edges and and an extended sweetspot that the manufacturers claim will increase the probability of hitting powerful and longer shots for attacking batsmen like Andrew Symond, Pollard and MS Dhoni.  The new GM technology minimizes the puffing of blade toe by applying DriGuard and raw linseed oil. GM DriGuard is a water resistant solution applied to all GM bats to lessen the absorption of moisture which is the main culprit in inducing damage to your bat.

The bats are more resistant to cracking and splitting as the moisture level is maintained. The new ToeTek technology further reduces toe damage by fitting an appropriately shaped elastic shield fitted to the toe. Hence assuring you that your bat’s toe won’t get damaged no matter how much you tap at the crease trying to play huge shots.  Also the face and edges of the bat are applied with a clear anti-scuff cover which increases its durability and realibility.

The high spine curvature of the bat gives it an unexpectedly lighter pick-up making pace attacks easier to play. The GM Control Grip and GM Powerarc give this blade an amazing balance reducing the risks of losing your wicket.

All GM DXM bats incorporate the results of 5 years of intensive cricket bat manufacturing research – which resulted in a cricket bat that is more stable, consistent and less prone to feathering than ever before. As you would expect with such a high end cricket bat, all the designing and crafting are done using CAD and CAM. Furthermore superior wood conditioning and quantum process are used to make the bat flawless and strong.

The Icon DXM GM+ model comes in different models depending on their size and quality of willow used. It is available in:

• Icon DXM GM+ Original L.E.
• Icon DXM GM+ Original
• Icon DXM GM+ 909
• Icon DXM GM+ 808 5 Star
• Icon DXM GM+ 707

Each Gunn & Moore bat is hand-made using 120 years of expertise knowledge and craft to make your gaming experience memorable. You can also pick up GM footwear and protection gears to dominate the game of cricket.

The Gunn & Moore’s Apex DXM cricket bat is made specifically to suit the needs of senior and professional cricket players for playing controlled strokes. Players like Presanna Jayawadene, Graeme Swann, Mark Boucher, and Ryan Sidebottom prefer this light weight, strong gripped GM bat especially while playing in Twenty-Twenty (T20) matches. It offers players the ability to play their strokes with a high degree of control due to high back lifts and a fast downswing helping to add some fast runs for their teams even after coming at a lower batting order.

The DXM process was formulated after 5 years of extensive research is used in making of these bats. The DXM technique was devised after spending considerable amount of money on research on various bat materials, machinery to manufacture these bats and using expert advice to make the bats better and leaving no scope for any error. These bats use superior wood conditioning to improve the strength and reliability of the willow used. Computer software such as AutoCAD and CAM are used to develop and craft the designs to reduce any source of mistake. Also the important pressing operation uses advanced quantum procedure to give this blade shaped edges and machined toe.

All these GM bats are applied with DriGuard to resist damp and lessen the puffing of the toe. Also, raw linseed oil is applied onto the bat to reduce the cracks and tears on the bat body. The blade’s durability is increased by applying clear anti-scuff to the face and the edges.

Gunn & Moore gives a wide range of bats that can be selected from to suit your various needs. All their bats are individually tested to ensure there is no compromise on quality.

The Blade range of Kookaburra, basically, has some five models in it namely Blade 850, Blade 750, Blade 450, Blade 350 and Blade 250. The biggest feather in their hat, and the most notable feature of these, is their light weight. The bats in this ultra light line weigh from 2 lb 6oz to 2 lb 12 oz. The light weight characteristic of the Blade bats make these the best batting tool to face extra pace attacks. With no considerable weight you can have a high back lift and swift feet movement that makes them highly useful especially if you are facing a bowler like Shaun Tait or Shoaib Akhtar. The sweet spot of these, if you can hit it, allows you to send the ball racing to the boundary at the speed of bullet-provided you are facing a fast bowler.

As for the models, the 950 is indeed the best. Though, all the bats in the Blade range are made of English Willow-except the Blade 250 which is made of Kashmir Willow-the Blade 950 is made of the finest quality unbleached English Willow. Blade 250 apart, all the other ones in the Blade series have a 12 piece ‘power drive’ Sarawak handle which prevents the nerves in your arm from getting a sudden shock in case of miss-execution of the shot.

Now, the most important thing-the price of Blade range: Kookaburra Blade range is relatively pricey. The Blade 250, the cheapest of the series, costs around AUD 120 while the Blade 500 costs around AUD 230. As for the best in the series, the Blade 950, you would have to pay as much as around AUD 450.

Summarizing, the Kookaburra Blade range is the best array of bats if you want to face very fast bowlers or even for batsmen who are short heighted and find it hard to have a good back lift with a heavy bat. Though, relatively costly, but the Blades are worth the price.

The Kookaburra Beast range comprises various models ranging from 2 lb 6 oz to 2 lb 10 oz. These include Beast 900, Beast 700, Beast 500, Beast 350, and Beast 250. The first three of these models are definitely better than the latter two as these are made of superior quality English Willow. While the Beast 250 is made of Kashmir Willow the other models in this range come with a 12 piece ‘Power Drive’ Sarawak handles. This makes them very suitable for opening batsmen where the bowling side usually introduces pace bowlers and the opening batsmen like to take on their pace with some thrashing shots. Apart from Beast 250, all the other models have an optimal drive profile which makes them perfect for front foot drives. Though all of the models come with a red grip, only Beast 900, Beast 700, and Beast 350 come in both long handles and short handles. This makes these three more desirable since a lot of taller batsmen prefer long handle bats.

On top of anything else, the price of Kookaburra Beast range bats is relatively affordable. You can have Beast 350 for AUD 140, Beast 500 for AUD 330 and Beast 700 for AUD 400. The great thing about this range is that, apart from Beast 250, all the bats falling within it can be used for anything ranging from grass root level practice to big national level matches. The only thing you need to see while selecting from any of these is if it suits your batting technique.

Finally, some batsmen find bats in this range a little heavier. As the weight of an ideal bat varies from batsman to batsman, many batsmen find it perfectly fine for them too. Nothing however can take the credit of “aggressive destroyer’ from the Beast range which undoubtedly is meant to annihilate the bowling attack.

It is a premium bat with classic, clean straight grains in the face of the blade.

MRF is a trusted name in quality willow bats. This bat has a large sweet spot enabling exceptional power hitting. This is a cricket bat ideally suited for Grade cricket players and above.

This model is their VVS 281 bat which celebrates the memorable 281 run knock made by champion Indian batsman VVS Laxman.

The Indian batting lineup certainly know their cricket kit, and the the SS Sunridges has always featured favourably with them.

• A quality cricket bat from a quality cricketing manufacturer.
• A perfectly priced bat for junior players aged anywhere from 7 through to 13 years of age.
• This bat has excellent balance, and a solid sweet spot – just the thing for those formative cricketing years.
• Solid handle and overall construction. Very durable.
• Made in India from only the finest grade Kashmir Willow – the hallmark of great cricket bat construction.