The Great Big Cricket Bat Swindle.
((new thread- sorry Mods: if needs be strike this post)).
Hi, Im new and my name is Merve'sTash. For alI you nippers Merve had a very impressive tash. and gob. Now enough of the pleasantries, down to buisness..
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I have a lot of disdain for the bats made today & the makers are on a swindle IMO. Here's why I think so.
I play and teach at club level and see countless new thick 'unpressed' bats by the well-known makes last just a season or two. Now, it may be a fad of sorts to plough thru a few quickly like our lads' (15- 22 yr old I mean) pro heros seem to do.. but.. Im in no doubt they are made purposefully incorrectly-pressed, and then marketed with abject spiel like for eg "Super thick edges" with the very intention that they will last no more than a few seasons, so another bat will need be bought.
-Why any batsman would want 'super thick edges' anyway? it is the -antithesis- of what's needed (or a stupidly curved banana-bow either/ more marketing baloney, but that's not important right now)-.
It might be traced back to the sub-continent 'new (Ihsan for eg) bat makers' approach starting (as I saw it 1988 ish/ Pakistan) of extra fat/ lightly pressed thick monster bats, which actually picked up sweetly of course as they were merely a ~2.8lb or so. But were shot after a season or two. AsI see it the reason could be either; with the high pressures involved their machines were/ are perhaps ~not quite so good in compared to English makers' trad/ old 'BigBertha' presses, or, its simply quicker to press a bat once rather than as it should be once again (?- conjecture here, Im not an expert on the process pe se). Nevertleless.. I think the trad Co's here just blatently followed suit, realising a profit windfall relative to their bat revenues previous to say ~late 90's/ early 00's) and with modern marketing drivel now consistantly produce junk bats made for 3 seasons tops, regardless of the actaul willow being a Pro/ 8* finest or a Club/ 4* perfectly fine thanking you please.
I have a 2.9lb GN powerspot 5* from 1988, its as thin as a whippet in comparison to a modern monster 2.9lb, obviously as its pressed well: Its in perfect condition still and I still use it regularly. Quality vs junk. And its just a pressing involved: sheesh.
Its a right royal cricket bat swindle. Add the ludicrous prices for a decent say 5* today and I say our trad English cricket Co's are a bunch of rotters.
MT.