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English Willow Cricket Bats

It is widely accepted that English Willow cricket bats provide superior performance when compared to similar kashmir willow cricket bats. Cricket Haven imports the best quality cricket bats made of highest grade english willow which is handcrafted by master cricket bat makers who have not only been making, but also have been inspecting the making of cricket bats for decades.

the grading of english willow cricket bats

We have many different grades, each one suitable for a particular market.  Here we have outlined some details of the most popular.

a Grade 1 english willow cricket bat blade

A Grade 1 is the best looking blade money can buy, though it will not necessarily play the best. There may be some red wood evident on the edge of the bat. The grain on the face will be straight and there will be at least 4 grains visible. There may be the odd small knot in the edge or back but the playing area should be clean.

There are 3 grade 1 english willow cricket bats that are currently sold (or are on pre-order) by Cricket Haven:

Shot! Cricket bats - Finest English willow cricket bat. You will not find any blemishes, redwood or specks on this english willow cricket bat. Usually has 10/11 grains, willow usually specially reserved for professional players.

Larsons Euro Plus Cricket Bat - Good quality grade 1 english willow, there may be the odd speck on the edges or the back, but the playing surface of this english willow cricket bat is clean. Normally has around 7-10 grains running down the face of the cricket bat.

Larsons Pinch Hitter Cricket Bat - quality grade 1 english willow, there may be the odd speck or a knot on the edges or the back, but the playing surface of this english willow cricket bat is largely clean. Normally has around 5-8 grains running down the face of the cricket bat.

a Grade 2 english willow cricket bat blade

A Grade 2 blade is also very good quality and normally a larger amount of red wood can be seen on the edge of a bat, this has no effect on the playing ability of the bat it is purely cosmetic. Again there will be at least 4 straight grains on the face of the bat with maybe some blemishes, pin knots or "speck" visible.

Larsons Personal Cricket Bat - this is a grade 2 english willow cricket bat, a great mid range cricket bat which is one of the most wanted cricket bats around.

a Grade 3 english willow cricket bat blade

This is the grade we produce and sell most of and it offers very good value for money. A Grade 3 Blade has up to half colour across the bat and is sometimes bleached, again this has no direct relation to the playing ability of the wood, it just has less visual attraction. There will be a minimum of 4 grains on the face of the bat which may not always be perfectly straight. Again some small knots or a little 'butterfly' stain may be present with perhaps more prominent "speck".

Larsons Grand Master Cricket Bat - this is a grade 3 english willow cricket bat that we sell and is great value for money

a Grade 4 english willow cricket bat blade

A Grade 4 Blade is normally over half colour or contains butterfly stain (see our page on Imperfections in Willow). This wood is also normally bleached just to make it "look better", it will still play as well as the other grades. Any number of grains are possible and the willow containing 'butterfly' stain is very strong, there could also be more "speck".

Larsons Lethal Weapon Cricket Bat - this is a grade 4 english willow cricket bat that we sell and is a great bat which is perfect for starters!

We hope you have enough information to feel confident on buying a new bat, if you have anymore questions we are only a phone call away and are happy to offer advice and help!

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