Being the maker of the world’s best cricket bats, Gray-Nicolls gets inundated with questions from around the globe. They come in all shapes and sizes – much like our bats – so we thought we’d distil some of the most common ones into a Batmaking Q&A.
We put your questions to our Master Bat Maker Alex Hohenkerk, who gave us some of his pearls of wisdom. Enjoy, and do keep sending them in.
How long does a tree grow before it’s cut down?
For an English willow tree it’s around 20 years before it’s ready to be cut down. We work with landowners and farmers across the country to grow the finest English willow, to harvest them at around 20 years of age, and bring them to the factory ready for processing.
How long does it take to make a cricket bat?
A cricket bat takes around 2-3 hours to work through, from the round to the sawyering, through the hand shaping and the pressing to become a bat ready for stickers and going out the door.
Read about the bat making process at our Inside The Factory blog
How do you make a handle and out of what?
Some of them are spliced, some of them are pinned by hand. Handles are made dfrom laminated pieces of cane. The laminations may vary in the number of pieces but they will be laminated together with either cork or rubber as inserts in between. The handle can be few as five pieces of cane or as many as 12 pieces of cane. Different amounts of cane give you different levels of flexibility and comfort.
How do I prepare my bat for a match?
Don’t skip the preparation! If you’ve bought a bat that’s not had it’s match preparation done, so if it hasn’t got a face guard, it’s not been oiled or it’s not been knocked in, take the time to do that. Apply some linseed oil, give it a good knocking-in. Get to nets with some old balls. Make sure you bats had the chance to be ready, don’t just take it out of the wrapper and walk to the crease and expect it not to get damaged.
Read more and watch our video on how to prepare your bat
How long should a bat last?
It’s not just about how long you use it for but it’s about how you look after it. Cricket bats need maintenance. Bats need knocking in, bats need repair work doing to them. Look after your bats and they will look after you.
Read our full blog on how to make your cricket bat last as long as possible
What wood are cricket bats made of?
Traditionally, the majority are made from English willow, Salix alba caerulea. High quality English will bats are made from Salix alba caerulea – it’s the best quality, it’s the best quality. It makes premium cricket bats, it makes affordable cricket bats, and it’s a sustainable tree.
Do pros have different bats for different formats?
Not always. Professional players will generally use the same bat whether T20, County Championship, one day international or Test Match. What they like is familiarity of their bat. There are a few specialists that will carry a different bat – maybe it’s the same shape but heavier, maybe it’s a slightly longer handle, but it’s very few that change.
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