The 37 best bats tested From the shop to the crease, the pick of this year’s range The Don’s top 10 bats a first-class view from our secret professional head to toe Everything you need to get kitted out for the season Good Gear Guide_All Ads_Outlined (W220 x H285mm).indd 6 20/01/2014 17:05 good gear guide > Welcome

From the Editor the testers It’s time to take stock ahead of a new season. Stock from the Alex Pigg Lord’s Cricket Store, that is. Competition winner it’s becoming our annual for you is somewhere in these your own ‘Try before you buy’ January joy, The Cricketer’s pages. Because, believe me, session at the MCC Cricket pilgrimage-come-pillage we saw off more than 2,500 Academy and look out for the at the finest cricket shop deliveries on your behalf to discounted prices available in the land. When it comes make our findings as forensic throughout this supplement. Stuart pigg to beating the winter blues as possible. As ever, we owe special Competition winner there’s nothing like a trip to Each member of our six- thanks to the Lord’s Cricket the Lord’s nets, especially man testing panel, with Store and the MCC Cricket when armed with an arsenal its 50-50 pro-am split and Academy (Duncan Copplestone of brand-new weaponry. diverse range of styles, has and Steve Naylor in particular) This year’s Good Gear Guide nominated his willow of for allowing us to take such features 37 of the finest choice and on page 122 our liberties with their wares. bats imaginable. We have secret first-class pro, The Don’t forget, it’s not all about mark alleyne heavy bats and light bats, Don, gives his own verdict on the bats either. Seven of these MCC Head Coach flashy bats and demure bats, the 10 bats that tickled our pages are dedicated to the pricey bats and bargain bats. collective fancies the most. replenishment of the rest of Whatever your standard, But the only way to be sure your kitbag. The 2014 season and no matter how deep or that a particular bat is for you promises to be one of new shallow your pockets may be, is to test it out for yourself. beginnings. And we know the we guarantee that the blade Turn to page 132 to book perfect place to start. Aff naseem Lord’s Cricket Store Contents newman toon

102 Dancing in the aisles The romance of testing day gets the better of the editor 106 The bats We give the verdict on 37 of the Jim hindson finest bats in the 2014 range The Cricketer 122 The Don magazine Our top-secret pro picks his top 10 124 Pads and gloves The finest soft furnishings 126 Wicketkeeping Don’t get stumped for choice 128 Boots For all of the The year’s finest footwear equipment featured andrew mIller 130 Helmets in this year’s Good The Cricketer Gear Guide and magazine Five fine lids. Which one fits? much more, visit 132 Try before you buy shop.lords.org A unique opportunity at Lord’s

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er grains ran smooth and umbug. That sort of fairytale straight, drawing my never comes true, does it? I might eye from the toe to the Has well keep dreaming that the splice and back again. Her England selectors are about to call Brief curves were subtle yet (though, admittedly, my chances have powerful, caressed into never felt higher than they do in the shape by a disciplined but Ashes aftermath). encounter gentle regime of lathe, chisel and And yet, for one day a year, in the sandpaper. She commanded instant otherwise bleak month of January, Andrew Miller attention as she stood there in the fantasy really is made flesh at the Lord’s Cricket Store, her willowy yet Home of Cricket. As one of six lucky strong features embellished by the testers for The Cricketer’s Good Gear falls in love in the classiest hint of stickering. Guide, it is once again my arduous It was lust at first sight as I task to speed-date through the finest tentatively beckoned her down from bats in the 2014 range. And transmit Lord’s Cricket her plinth and swept her into my my findings to you, the willow- stance. “I’m out of your league,” she wielding public. whispered, as together we sashayed It’s an awesome responsibility but Store as The down an imaginary wicket and there’s a crack team helping to make galumphed a heavy-footed drive it happen. Back for another year of towards the soft goods section. testing is The Cricketer’s own Jim Cricketer’s bat And on any ordinary day this would Hindson, a former Notts and England indeed have been true. Her price tag Under-19 spinner, as well as the was prohibitive, her balance and MCC Cricket Academy Head Coach, testing operation poise wasted on a Sunday league Mark Alleyne, of Gloucestershire slogger such as me. But this was and England fame. Making his debut goes into overdrive no ordinary day, and no ordinary is Aff Naseem of the Lord’s Cricket place either. Store, who used to turn out for “Shall we go for a test drive?” Pakistan Under-19s before turning once again I asked, motioning towards the his hand to coaching. And our two pristine lanes of nets awaiting next competition winners, Alex and Stuart PHOTOgraphy by paul carroll, door in the MCC Cricket Academy. Pigg from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, portrait collective “Sure,” she replied coyly. “Why not?” whose day includes an impromptu

Dancing in the aisles: Andrew lines up another imaginary Follow us on Twitter drive as Stuart, Alex @Lords_shop and Jim talk shop

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Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ Guide Check out the Buyers’ Guide videos from the Lord’s Cricket Store

ALEX PIGG Competition winner THREE HOURS A bowling OF TALKING allrounder for Cheshunt CC, AND TONKING Alex, 18, is the HAS BURNED club’s reigning AS MANY Young Player of the Year but used to think cricket ANALOGIES was a “boring old man’s game” AS CALORIES until his brother bullied him into playing in the back garden – a rare concession as Alex is generally the competitive one. Now he’s hooked: “I’ll watch the Ashes, Big Bash, IPL, whatever cricket is on.”

STUART PIGG Competition winner More of a watcher than a player, Stuart’s main aim as a batsman is to “stay in and let the guy at the other end do the work”. His fi nest hour was a two-wicket burst in his fi rst game – “one of which Cricket writing: Andrew has his notes taken by Dan (top); Mark gives his opinion was Alex”. An Essex supporter, he (above left) as does A (above right); another throwdown on its way (below) makes a pilgrimage to Chelmsford at least once or twice a season, most spell of tuition from Alleyne before a yet through the fog of exhaustion recently to watch England’s warm- Hawk-Eye session in the Academy’s a consensus is starting to appear up before the 2013 Ashes. own performance analysis suite. about the day’s winners and losers. Behind the scenes there’s the usual There’s no doubt in my mind about hive of activity – bats to be paraded the day’s outstanding blade (see page AFF NASEEM on the catwalk and catalogued ahead 117) but it’s not an opinion which is Lord’s Cricket Store of their outing in the nets, interviews universally shared. That just goes Supervisor at the to be conducted by Dan Norcross to show, the only real way to Lord’s Cricket from Test Match Sofa, marks and fi nd out if a bat is the right one Store, A was a comments to be collated by Dan, for you is to try it out for yourself. wicketkeeper/ Benj and Dave from the magazine Turn to page 132 to fi nd out how to do batsman for editorial team. And nothing would be just that on your next visit to Lord’s. Pakistan Under- possible without the tireless efforts 19s and Surrey Academy before of MCC’s arsenal of Young Cricketers, ack in the real world, I know turning his hand to coaching. His who between them must have my brief encounter will never fi nest hour came in an innings of 174 served up some 2,500 throwdowns Bwork out. We are quite simply for Surrey Academy against Kent for our delectation. incompatible. My kitbag smells of Academy. His most memorable bat After three solid hours of tonking all things fetid and my pads alone was a Kookaburra Bubble. “Working and talking, I am spent. I’ve used would surely be a deal-breaker, at Lord’s is the dream job for me,” up as many analogies as calories in stained as they are with sweat he says. translating my deeds into words, and dust and threadbare at

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MARK ALLEYNE MCC Head Coach A Gloucestershire legend who played 10 ODIs for England, Mark has served as MCC’s Head Coach since 2009. In the wake of England’s Ashes disaster, his role in nurturing a new generation of talent has never seemed more vital. “I am genuinely optimistic about the future of English cricket,” he says. “It’s important for any new player coming through that he earns the right to be selected.”

ANDREW MILLER The Cricketer A short but sharp season for the editor culminated in a career-best 7 for 18 for Test Match Sofa against the Lord’s Taverners. But his batting remains as hit and miss as ever. “I’m a confi dence slogger,” he says. On the job: Mark Alleyne gives some impromptu coaching to Alex Pigg (above); Alex and Stuart “I tend to rely on a dropped catch give their marks to Benj (below) and have their bowling analysed by Hawk-Eye (bottom) in my fi rst six balls, then there’s no stopping me.” He is currently the knees from a decade of near- nursing a hurt shoulder, courtesy of miss run-outs. They’d be no sort of his Darren Gough follow-through. companion for such a classy new arrival but I could no sooner trade them in than shoot the family spaniel. JIM HINDSON But my God, for those 17 deliveries, The Cricketer we were in perfect harmony. In his days as a It should, by the strictest rules of county pro Jim was the day’s engagement, have been no briefl y sponsored more than a dozen throwdowns per by Gunn & Moore bat. But with this one I just couldn’t but tended to be let go. Every shot found a middle served up cast-o s from whatever fragment of wood it that Mark Ramprakash wouldn’t was permitted, and a cursory be seen dead holding. However, inspection of the blade afterwards the quality of the bats in the 2014 showed not a trace of a seam mark, so range impressed him greatly. “They I guess we’ll never know who was ONLINE EXTRAS are getting lighter and lighter but fooling whom. But for as long as it Listen to Dan Norcross’ interviews from the the balls just keep fl ying o ,” he lasted, our dalliance was blissful day at Lord’s at says. “No matter what level you are, escapism. A fantasy made fl esh on a www.thecricketer.com anyone can fi nd the boundary.” winter’s day at Lord’s.

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Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ Guide Check out the Buyers’ Guide videos from the Lord’s Cricket Store

TESTING PROCEDURE Our Testing Day began with a Supermarket Sweep and was rounded off with an intensive three-hour net session. Our six reviewers worked their way through the shelves of the Lord’s Cricket Store, gathering together all the bats that caught their eye until a final tally of 37 had been selected. Then they split into pairs (Mark and Jim, Andrew and Aff, Alex and Stuart) to receive approximately half a dozen throwdowns per bat from our team of MCC Young Cricketers. In a subtle departure from last year’s Testing Day, the price of each bat was revealed before it was tried out to ensure that the genuine bargains were given as much of a chance to stand out as the day’s big beasts. While one partner took his turn in the net, the other would give his verdict on the bat just tested to our editorial team, marking each bat out of 10 on six criteria which were then number- crunched to create the order of merit you’ll be reading all about on the following pages. Gray-Nicolls Nemesis Four Adidas Master Blaster Pro Kookaburra Kahuna 400 LORD’S Star RRP: £175 OFFER £131 £300 / £225 £130 / £97 READER OFFER Lord’s Cricket Store is Hot pink stickers and a lumpy Sachin Tendulkar has lent his Incredible price but there’s offering up to 25% OFF all “angry-looking” blade. It was name (and logo) to this offering little hidden value to be found. the products featured in the impossible to miss this one but he’ll probably keep it up Attractive stickers “make an 2014 Good Gear Guide – with on the shelf, which was an his sleeve for a tapeball match ordinary piece of wood look discounted prices shown in obvious plus, but its appeal was on the Mumbai maidans. Light good”, according to Mark, but WHITE. Recommended subsequently lost on the panel. and thin yet lacking Sachin’s there’s no disguising its lack of Retail Prices are shown Jim struggled with deftness of touch. sophistication. Still, his timing and felt .44 It looks good in the .58 you could pay more .33 in YELLOW vibrations. Not the hand but you expect elsewhere and get best in show. 5/10 that at the price. 5/10 less for your money. 6/10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: Follow us on Twitter VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: @Lords_shop STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Adidas Pellara Club Adidas Pellara Elite XT Gray-Nicolls Powerspot Chase R7 Volante LORD’S RRP: £190 OFFER £142 £450 / £337 £200 / £150 £196 / £147 No shrinking violet, like the man Price or performance? On this Gray-Nicolls have mined a rich “The Ford Mondeo of cricket who endorses it. The day-glo occasion quality wins by a nose. seam of nostalgia in recent bats” was Jim’s verdict. stickers won’t go unnoticed on But is the Elite worth the extra seasons by resurrecting icons Uninspiring but reliable. Stuart the shelf, and you’ll never go off £260? Not really. The wood is such as the Scoop and the liked the silver stickers and in bad light. “It made me want to superior but the sell is in the Dynadrive. Sadly, this year’s Mark declared it “slick” but the bat like KP, not in a good way,” stickers, which are identical to retro reboot consists of a badly consensus veered towards the says Andrew. Jim the Club’s. Great for positioned piece of dull. “It played to its was nonplussed by a .46 die-hard KP lovers .67 shiny blue tinfoil. Yet .75 price but it didn’t fill .83 bat that placed style but others may want Jim was “pleasantly me with confidence,” over substance. /10 to look elsewhere. /10 surprised” in the end. /10 says Andrew. 6666 /10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Gray-Nicolls Oblivion Chase R11 FLC Ton Gladiator Elite Puma Platinum 4000 e41 LE – £400 / £300 £375 / £281 £500 / £375 £280 / £210 Alex had already tested the A “feminine” bat, in Alex’s “A nice bit of tree,” says Mark, Jim went off like the clappers less pricy five-star version and opinion; “a bit mechanical and but at £500 a pop, you’d bloody – “A great blade for chasing a likened the LE to an iPhone square-looking,” says Jim. well hope so. Alas the Gladiator total” – but others had to play upgrade. “Everything’s just a bit Presumably they can’t both be looks like every other Ton in the themselves in. “The sweet spot sharper.” Jim was less impressed right, but the fashion jury was forest. Andrew was turned off by is too concentrated,” says Mark, – “the GN spark is just not clearly still out. Stuart liked the its shouty branding and “cotton “but you’re not being robbed there.” Andrew was “neat and simple” bud” handle. Alex at the price.” Aff mesmerised by the .83 finish, Andrew was a .88 was a fan but “on a .92 reckoned the shiny .92 blade’s resemblance little put off by some hot day the weight stickers might help to the Batmobile. /10 “smutty” grains. /10 would test you”. /10 put off the keeper. 6666 /10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ Guide Check out the Buyers’ Guide Follow us on Twitter videos from the @Lords_shop Lord’s Cricket Store.

Hunts Revolution Turbo LE £310 / £232 Hunts may not have been actively courting the retro market but, by and large, their throwback design met with the panel’s approval. “A clean blade with no frills, and characteristic of County bats of years gone by,” says Jim. Aff reckoned the stickers were a bit “cheap” but his was a lone voice of dissent. Alex thought they were “eye- catching” while Mark went so far as to describe them as “psychedelic”, which can only have been a compliment given his love of Gayle’s Spartan bat. “Clean, .19 light, and did the work for me,” says Andrew. 7/10

Chase R4 Lancer Ton Power Blaster Classic FIRST IMPRESSIONS: LORD’S BUILD QUALITY: RRP: £148 OFFER £111 £150 / £112 PICK-UP/FEEL: Chase often appear to be A springy middle but it’s the PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: chasing their market. Should stickers that really leap out. They STAR RATING: they rival the big brands or carve are everywhere. “Ton” on the themselves a smaller niche? front, “Ton” on the back, “Ton” This year’s stickers suggest a on the toe. Even their website My favourite bat: move towards the latter and the gets a mention. It’ll be “How am I Stuart Pigg Lancer was a worthy driving?” next. Pretty “My preference fit. “Memorable .13 well, as it happens. “A .13 is for a light bat outing, incredible genuinely explosive so this was just price,” says Jim. /10 sweet spot,” says Jim. 77 /10 the ticket for me. I wasn’t FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: convinced when BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: I first saw it but PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: I was really impressed with its PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: performance. Very comfortable VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: for playing my shots.” STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Gunn & Moore Icon F7 Mongoose ReBEL Super Mongoose ToRQ Series Gray-Nicolls Powerbow Original – £375 / £280 Premium – £365 / £273 £195 / £146 Gen X Players – £300 / £225 A bat for “openers, not sloggers” Like the straight-laced daughter Understated by Mongoose “A bat of two halves,” says Mark. says Jim, which may explain why in Ab Fab, the Mongoose family standards but the stickers still The face is understated but the Andrew was bothered by a lack rebel is actually the normal one. looked like spilt Ribena. The rear is a riot of green lightning of meat. Mark’s eye was drawn No wonder our testers were bigger mess, however, could be which Andrew found offputting. by the classic GM look and divided. “Plasticky and fake,” to the bowler’s figures. Andrew Looks aside, Jim was concerned “beautiful finish”, though Aff says Alex but Mark applauded was seduced by the pendulum about the (lack of) weight but found the wood hard its efforts to fit in. A swing of a bottom- soon changed his and the design basic: .19 decent bat but it could .25 heavy blade.Jim .27 tune. “It had turbo .29 “A bit of colour would be anyone’s. Which is loved its “fun factor” power, even when have been nice.” 7/10 presumably the point. 7/10 and big hitting area. 7/10 late on the shot.” 7/10 FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Follow us on Twitter @Lords_shop THE CRICKETER GOLD AWARD Gunn & Moore Octane F2 606 LORD’S RRP: £130 OFFER £97 If you’re looking for a bat to get someone started in the game, then look no further. The look is traditional and the shape a touch THE CRICKETER reserved but the Octane’s price BEST VALUE is almost as jaw-dropping as England’s defeat in last month’s Brisbane ODI. There’s simply nothing like it when it comes to value for money. The grains are a bit of a mishmash, implying it’s a cast-off from a choicer cut of willow, but waste not want THE CRICKETER not is clearly GM’s motto. “No EDITOR’S vibrations which is great for the CHOICE price,” says Aff. “It’s a front-foot playing bat, .98 so good for English conditions.” 7/10

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Salix SLX Newbery GT 5 Star BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: £420 / £315 £190 / £142 PERFORMANCE: Salix place craftsmanship over Not many batmakers can dress VALUE FOR MONEY: commerce. This bat is all about up their wares in ecclesiastical STAR RATING: the beauty of its build, and it’s purple. For Newbery, however, a touch daunting as a result – holy orders feel appropriate. not just in terms of price. “It “The company has such a comes with the expectation reputation for quality, you that you’ll drive like assume you’ll be Cowdrey and cut like .08 paying £400 each .08 Bradman,” says Jim. time,” says Andrew. “Clearly not for me!” /10 A genuine bargain. 88 /10 Lord’s ‘How To FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Buy’ Guide BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: Check out PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: the Buyers’ PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: Guide videos VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

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Millichamp & Hall CK22 Newbery Kudos SPS £475 / £356 £500 / £375 A radical, successful departure “Kudos” indeed. Who comes for such a traditional brand. The up with these names? It’s as if stickers were the biggest sticking the marketing team has upped point – Mark reckoned the brand sticks to Hoxton. Jim feared had been taken over by Barclays, the feminine green was a touch Stuart thought he was playing too pretty for the batsman’s Tetris – but the meatiest good and Alex felt its styling let Millichamp in the market it down. Even so, this bat was packed a phenomenal so well-balanced it could have punch. “A belter, but I ridden into the net on a unicycle wouldn’t have picked it,” and not wobbled once. “It oozes says Andrew. class, and its performance matches its looks,” says Mark. My favourite bat: Aff The exquisite grains had enough Naseem “They’ve gone pizzazz to reward even Andrew’s out of their comfort tired heaves at the zone with a quality .21 end of a long stint. “It .29 piece of kit, jam- looks smart and plays packed with power.” 8/10 smart,” says Stuart. 8/10

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING: STAR RATING:

My favourite bat: Jim Hindson “I like the stickers, they give a modern feel to an old- fashioned brand. The rounded edges might split opinion but the performance is so fantastic it doesn’t matter. It’s a lot of money but well worth the investment.”

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Kookaburra Impulse 950 LORD’S “I’m a fan of the bright RRP: £360 OFFER £270 Far from being an impulse colours. The orange purchase, the Kookaburra THE CRICKETER Impulse claims The Cricketer’s GOLD AWARD goes with my trainers!” Gold Award for 2014 thanks to its relentless excellence in every category. First things first: you won’t miss it on the shop floor. “Very slick, and well “A measured amount of neon is rarely a bad thing on a bat,” says worth the upgrade Andrew. Next comes the price: £360 is the higher end of mid- THE CRICKETER from a £200 blade. The range so there are two distinct BEST VALUE markets in play. The pick-up is higher grade of willow sympathetically balanced and the build doesn’t miss a beat, makes all the difference” with a sweet grade of willow and a solid oval handle to lend confidence to all strokes. In Jim’s opinion, its performance was “ The Aussie confi dence “exhilarating”. Light enough to encourage finesse but sturdy THE CRICKETER is unmistakable. You’d enough to lend some EDITOR’S wallop when needed, .29 CHOICE be hard-pressed to walk this really is a bat for all occasions. 8/10 past this in the shop” FIRST IMPRESSIONS: BUILD QUALITY: PICK-UP/FEEL: PERFORMANCE: VALUE FOR MONEY: STAR RATING:

Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ Guide Check out the Buyers’ Guide videos

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The Don’s top-10 thoughts My top four were all exceptional – the feel of bat on ball was just so much sweeter than the rest. I like my bat to look good as well so I wish Newbery and Salix TheOur secret fi rst-class Don cricketer took to had some funkier stickers. But performance is what the nets to test our top 10 bats straight you are after. The middle three – the Millichamp & from the shelves. He gives his professional Hall, the Newbery GT and the Gunn & Moore – were verdict and ranks them in his own order. all decent. I wouldn’t be upset if I had one in my bag.

Kookaburra Gray-Nicolls Puma Chromium Gunn & Moore Newbery 10 Ricochet 550 9 Legend 8 3000 7 Octane F2 606 6 GT 5 Star There’s not that It’s got a nice bow In terms of style it I don’t like the shape I like Newbery. They much to say to the shape, it feels looks great. There at all. You’ve got all are a traditional about the bat’s pretty nice in your seems to be a real the weight down at company who like to performance. It’s hands and picks up trend at the moment the bottom, which is keep it simple. But OK, but nothing well. But there’s that for huge edges. fine if you are Kevin for me, the looks special. Nice, sturdy slightly concave Personally I don’t Pietersen and you’re can be a little dull. At handles, though. indent on the face of like that and this hitting the ball out least this one’s got I’m not a big fan of the bat and for me sounded a little of the sweet spot a bit of colour in it. toe guards myself these kind of bats tinny. However, it’s every time. When The handle is very, and the bat feels just don’t perform as as light as a feather. you connect like very thin and doesn’t very long for some well. It was a bit tinny When bats get that it absolutely leave you with much reason. I’m not really and didn’t sound this big and light, it pings. But if the ball confidence that it’s a fan of scooping anything like my makes me feel as if hits a bit further up going to last that out the back of the favourite bats on the I’ve got to smack it it sounds very tinny long. The middle is bat to create a little list and I wouldn’t every ball. I won’t – in fact it jars your high so this should ridge. It takes a lot necessarily pay top be playing with a hands. I’ve been a suit more of a of wood out of dollar for this. My lot of finesse with big fan of Gunn & No.5/allrounder the bat. I tend to overall verdict? a blade like this. Moore but this batsman. A good like a traditional All right. A middle-order one doesn’t do it one-day bat. shape. bat. for me. 10 9 8 7 6789 6  / thecricketer.com ■ buy at shop.lords.org >

Weight issues A few years ago a lot of bats were great big things that weighed 3lb. But all these bats are all 2lb 8oz or 2lb 9oz, a standard weight. You don’t need heavy bats to get a lot of wood in them these days because they’re not pressed as much. It’s also shown, perhaps, that using a heavy bat for one-dayers and a lighter bat for four- dayers is a bit of a myth.

Millichamp & Hall Spartan Kookaburra Salix Newbery 5 CK22 4 MP 3000 3 Impulse 950 2 SLX 1 Kudos SPS It’s a smart-looking Spartan are new to The design hasn’t Absolutely The look is great if bat and I like the the English market changed much over gorgeous. The you like the simple colours and style. but they’ve already the years but they’ve traditionalist will look and you can’t Millichamp & Hall got Michael Clarke brought in some like the plain look argue with its have always been and Matt Prior funky colours and I although I can’t performance. It’s quite reserved on board. I think like it. The bat itself quite get my head got a lovely feel to with their stickers the stickers look has a nice balance. round the shape. it. There’s a nice but they’ve gone messy, too higgledy- It’s nice and light. The way they’ve bow so that it sits for something a piggledy. But there’s There’s not much of scooped out the nicely in your stance. bit different here a lovely feel and a bow, though – it’s back seems strange These are massively and I like it. They weight to the bat, a very straight. When to me. But there’s a popular on the produced one of the really nice pick-up. you tuck your bat great shape to it and county circuit and best bats I had as a It sits behind the toe in behind your toe it’s got a lovely feel. renowned for being youngster and they really comfortably in your stance, if It’s very comfortable top quality. This is always make good and feels nice in the face of the bat in the backlift, with a stroke-player’s products. I quite the hands. A good is very ‘straight’ a great weight to it bat and, at about like the shape of piece of wood. It’s sometimes it and strokemakers 2lb 8oz, a top- this one and the got wide edges doesn’t feel very will like it. Top order batter performance is but they haven’t comfortable. It class. I just wish would really decent. All in scooped all the suits a classy, they would work enjoy using it. all a good, solid meat out of it. classical player on the visuals Absolutely bat. Really sweet. like Ian Bell. so that people gorgeous and would take it just shades off the the Salix. shelves! 5 4 3 2 12345 1 buy at shop.lords.org ■ thecricketer.com /  GOOD GEAR GUIDE PADS & GLOVES The Don on … pads and gloves Your gloves have got to be comfortable and allow you to really feel the handle. I will generally go for a slightly smaller-sized glove so there’s not too much rucking-up of the leather in the fingers, which means you can lose your connection to the handle. Your gloves need to be sturdy as well – you get hit on the fingers a lot. Pads are all about comfort. It’s Follow us on Twitter a very personal thing: style, comfort, cost. In terms of protection, @Lords_shop I would spend a little more on my gloves than I would on my pads.

OVERVIEW

THE CRICKETER RECOMMENDS

THE CRICKETER GOLD AWARD For this year’s range of soft goods and footwear, there’s been more emphasis on understated glamour rather than out-and- out pick-me bling. Batting pads in particular have been pared back in terms of looks in favour THE CRICKETER of easily recognisable quality and BEST VALUE value for money. The surprises were to be found in New Balance’s excellent first foray into cricket footwear and in Chase’s exceptional wicketkeeping gloves. Another notable innovation is Ton’s offering of a THE CRICKETER top-notch bat, gloves and pads EDITOR’S for around £200. In price terms, CHOICE this appears to be something of a LORD’S benchmark when kitting out the Gunn & Moore 808 Pads RRP: £55 OFFER £44 Newbery Test Batting Pads – £55 / £44 LORD’S average weekend warrior. Gunn & Moore 808 Gloves RRP: £35 OFFER £28 Newbery Test Batting Gloves – £45 / £36 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £67 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £75 Traditional, confidently understated, simply Every year Newbery deliver an excellent and exceptional. The build quality and materials compelling range of pads and gloves that are peerless and tick all boxes. The pads have perfectly complement the understated livery a slightly clipped appearance above the of their bats. The pads have a classic cane and knee-roll, which makes them look a touch wadding construction with traditional looks, squatter than normal, but no less appealing. all underpinned by a modern lightweight feel. You can buy them with absolute confidence. The gloves are equally attractive to Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ The gloves have a mid-range price and a traditionalists. Newbery have no need to Guide Check out heavy-duty feel, which is never a bad thing. reinvent the wheel because their quality the Buyers’ Guide They stand out for their incredibly well- always shines through. If you like their style, videos from the engineered look and feel. Top class. you will never be disappointed. Lord’s Cricket Store

 / thecricketer.com ■ buy at shop.lords.org >

Ton Power Blaster Classic Batting Pads – £35 / £28 Gray-Nicolls Legend LE Batting Pads – £125 / £100 Kookaburra Bubble Star Batting Pads – £50 / £40 Ton Max Power Classic Batting Gloves – £30 / £24 Gray-Nicolls Oblivion e41 Test Gloves – £60 / £48 Kookaburra Bubble Star Batting Gloves – £40 / £32 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £49 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £139 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £67 The pads are average-to-good at a good-to- Gray-Nicolls’ range looks best when worn as The pads are neat and come with the usual excellent price. Incredible value, if slightly a set, but be prepared to pay extra for your pin-tucked knee-roll and rippled cane dated, they have a flat-faced look rather than co-ordinated outfit. The pads are spongy to innards that you always associate with the the traditional cane and bolster aesthetic. the touch and present themselves as a hybrid Kookaburra brand. The high-gloss (almost Not the ideal protection when facing Mitchell somewhere between those worn by Sachin plastic) aesthetic is likely to polarise batsmen Johnson but certainly good enough to feel Tendulkar and a traditional set of leg-guards. across the country. confident on a Saturday afternoon. The look is fantastic but the price is steep. The gloves are a mid-tempo offering at an The gloves have a similar look to the The gloves have the usual understated attractive price. Kookaburra’s Bubble range – recent Puma range, offering comprehensive values associated with the most traditional bat, gloves and pads – look good together as protection at a price to trust. A solid build, and of cricket’s traditional brands. They are good a set and the blue and red livery really stands undeniably the best of the hi-tech options. without being market-leading. out on the shelf for 2014.

buy at shop.lords.org ■ thecricketer.com /  GOOD GEAR GUIDE WICKETKEEPING THE CRICKETER RECOMMENDS

Follow us on Twitter @Lords_shop THE CRICKETER GOLD AWARD

THE CRICKETER BEST VALUE

THE CRICKETER EDITOR’S CHOICE

LORD’S Spartan MP 1000 Gloves RRP: £105 OFFER £84 Chase R11 Wicketkeeping Gloves – £50 / £40 Kookaburra 1000 Wicketkeeping Gloves – £100 / £80 LORD’S Spartan MP 1000 Pads RRP: £80 OFFER £64 Chase R11 Wicketkeeping Pads – £40 / £32 Kookaburra 750 Wicketkeeping Pads – £30 / £24 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £139 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £67 BUY BOTH, SAVE MORE: ONLY £98 The gloves are endorsed by Matt Prior and Top drawer. First-rate construction and finish, Every year Kookaburra produce consistently come with a metallic blue finish to the back. marrying ultra-soft leather backs with a well- eye-catching equipment throughout their The colour makes for a modern, eye-catching finished cuff and palm. An exceptional pair range, from bats to gloves to pads. This year’s look but they don’t demand to be tried on. of gloves from a brand with no history in this keeping gloves have a conventional look but The pads are rather low-rent and come category. Superb all-round value. they come at an eye-watering price. For the across as all logo and no substance when The pads are incredibly well-made at an Kookaburra aficionado only. The rest of us will first seen on the shelf. Disappointing and excellent price, offering loads of protection leave them sitting in the old gum tree ... uninspiring for a leading brand. It feels like a and value. To buy them as a set costs £67 The keeping pads aren’t game-changing, case of missed opportunity for Spartan. which is an absolute bargain. but neither are they ground-losing.

 / thecricketer.com ■ buy at shop.lords.org Good Gear Guide_All Ads_Outlined (W220 x H285mm).indd 2 20/01/2014 17:04 GOOD GEAR GUIDE HELMETS The Don on … helmets I’d be willing to spend a bit of extra cash if a helmet offered extra protection. It’ll cost you far more than £150 to replace your teeth so a good lid is worth it. One major rule: if you get hit and there is a bit of damage, then you must replace Follow us on Twitter it even though it’s expensive. It won’t perform in @Lords_shop the same way if you get hit again.

THE CRICKETER RECOMMENDS

LORD’S Masuri X-Line RRP: £220 OFFER £160 Traditional looks with extra protection, including a shock-absorbing peak and an eye- line grille to deflect balls away from the face.

THE CRICKETER GOLD AWARD

Masuri Test – £85 / £63 THE CRICKETER Definitive. Pleasing on the BEST VALUE eye, better on the head. Light to wear but still reassuringly tried and Adidas Premiertek – £85 / £68 tested. Once you go Masuri, you tend An Ayrtek-designed batting helmet in the to stay Masuri. style of a saucepan lid. Great protection at this price but the jury is out on its looks.

THE CRICKETER EDITOR’S CHOICE

Adidas RawTek – £250 / £180 Albion Ultimate 98 Titanium – £175 / £130 Albion Ultimate Classic – £85 / £68 The unvarnished version in the range but it is If Masuri is the default England helmet then A reduced version of the Ultimate 98 in terms made from exceptional materials. Ultra-rigid Albion forms the basic Australian shell. A look of materials used, this is a serviceable piece of construction at top of the evolutionary tree. and feel that have stood the test of time. kit at a price that doesn’t scare the horses.

 / thecricketer.com ■ buy at shop.lords.org Good Gear Guide_All Ads_Outlined (W220 x H285mm).indd 1 20/01/2014 17:03 GOOD GEAR GUIDE > THE LAST WORD Lord’s ‘How To Buy’ Guide Check out the new Buyers’ Guide videos from the Lord’s Cricket Store. This superb READER OFFER online resource showcases expert The Lord’s Cricket Store is offering tips and professional insight, up to 25% OFF all the products highlighting what to look out for featured in the 2014 Good Gear Guide – when purchasing new kit. Content with discounted prices shown in white recommended for all ages – but only until March 31, 2014. Simply visit the Lord’s Cricket Store TEST YOURSELF at the Home of Cricket in London, email [email protected], phone 0207 616 8572 or buy online TRY at shop.lords.org BEFORE YOU BUY

Fancy a hit in the Lord’s indoor nets? All of the bats that feature in The Cricketer’s 2014 Good Gear Guide are available to test drive straight from the shop floor before you make your purchase. To take advantage of this unique service, please contact the Lord’s Cricket Store on 0207 616 8572 to check details. This offer is subject to the availability of net space and the terms of use of the MCC Cricket Academy.

SPECIAL THANKS

Huge thanks to the following MCC Young Cricketers – plus our valiant testers and competition winners – for making this year’s equipment bonanza our best ever. You have been watching: (Back The Cricketer teamed up with row, left to right) Mark Alleyne, Lord’s to bring readers the Matthew Maule, Simon very best junior equipment Stevens, Adam Dobb, Jim the game’s manufacturers Hindson, (Front row, left have to offer. To view this to right) Zain Shahzad, Aff indispensable one-stop Naseem, Andrew Miller, Alex guide, simply visit Pigg and Stuart Pigg. Whether the link below or you hit, missed, threw or spoke alternatively, scan – thanks for your much-valued the QR cod e. contribution. shop.lords.org

 / thecricketer.com ■ buy at shop.lords.org Good Gear Guide_All Ads_Outlined (W220 x H285mm).indd 5 20/01/2014 17:05 Good Gear Guide_All Ads_Outlined (W220 x H285mm).indd 10 20/01/2014 17:07