5 Best Cricket Bats UK 2024 | Kashmir and English Willow With Grades 5 to 1

Kashmir is slightly darker in colour and while it is still durable and strong, it doesn’t provide quite as much give. This means they often need a longer ‘knocking in’ period to reach the optimum potential. These bats are still a great choice and they’re typically a fair bit cheaper.

The other option if you’re looking for an affordable bat to play with family or leisurely is a plastic bat. They can be used alongside a regular tennis ball instead of a corky (a traditional hard cricket ball) and are often found in sets. 

Cricket bats will often also state what ‘grade’ they are. These range from 1-5, with 1 being the best, and relates to the aesthetics and quality of the material of each bat.

Grade 1 will be the most expensive blade, and will come with a higher amount of grains, and these will all be fairly straight to indicate the quality of the wood. There will also be minimal knots or butterflies on these bats.

The lower in the grading system you go, the fewer and less straight grains, and the higher likelihood of marks or specks on the face of the bat, indicating a less pure wood. 

The grading system is apparent throughout both English willow and Kashmir willow bats, although English 1-5 is higher than Kashmir 1-5. You could look at it as the lowest team in the Premier League being higher than the top team in the Championship! 

The next point to consider is the height of your bat. If you’re over 6 foot you’ve only got 1 option, which is a 'Long Handle' or 'Long Blade' (LH/LB). If you’re not that tall, or you’re buying for a junior, then there are a range of different heights available. Below we will simply lay out the general recommendations.

• 4ft – 4ft 3”: 1
• 4ft 3” – 4ft 6”: 2
• 4ft 6” – 4ft 9”: 3
• 4ft 9” – 5ft: 4
• 5ft – 5ft 3”: 5
• 5ft 3” – 5 ft 5”: 6
• 5 ft 5” – 5 ft 7”: Harrow
• 5ft 7” – 5ft 9”: Sm Adults
• 5ft 9” – 6ft: Short Handle (SH)
• 6ft +: Long Handle/Long Blade (LH/LB)

Another factor is the weight of the bat. A lighter bat will allow you more manoeuvrability and give the option of playing on the front or back foot. If you’re new to cricket then this is the type of bat we would recommend – something between 900 g and 1.15 kg would be ideal.

If you’re a more experienced player then you will know whether a light bat or heavy bat is right for you. However, it’s always important to not only consider your physical strength but also your strengths as a cricketer when considering the weight.  

Different bats have different sweet spots, and ideally, you’re going to want to pick up one that aligns with the style you play. This will make it more likely for you to consistently hit the balls in the right place, thus resulting in more runs, and fingers crossed, more wins!

A higher sweet spot is for those that are looking to catch the ball aerially and play the safer cut or pull shots. If you’re front foot forward and looking to step in and strike the ball closer to the ground, then we would recommend looking for something with a lower sweet spot.

If you have no idea, or you’re wanting to mix up your game, then a bat that has a mid sweet spot should suit you fine and allow you to play either way.

Last but not least, the toe of your bat. This is the weakest part of your bat, and if you’ve got deliveries from the bowler that are attacking this part of your blade, the likelihood is that it’s eventually going to cause damage.

This can be reduced by buying a bat that comes with a toe guard. This will help reduce the shock and also decrease the amount of moisture seeping into the bat whilst playing in damp conditions, therefore protecting the whole bat from rotting.