Should i buy my new bat online?

Should I buy my new bat online?

This is a question being asked and considered by an increasing number of cricketers. With over forty years of experience in the cricket fraternity I would love to give my advice on the subject.

Positives

Convenience. Geographic situations and lack of transport can make it hard to access a retail store. Some specialist cricket stores have expert staff that can pick a bat for you ordered online that is as close as possible to your specific requirements. Our staff at Meulemans have picked bats for some of the Worlds best players. 

Time is also another factor. The advantages of online shopping are you can shop when you want no matter what time of day it is.

Price. It is easy to compare prices on the internet from local, national and international sites and if you are lucky you might find a bargain.

Negatives

Choice. Correct size and weight is crucial when choosing a bat especially when choosing for the young. Every bat is unique in it's own way. Even the same make and model will differ in weight, pickup, grain and rebound. We individually test each bat for rebound ability to ensure our bats are of the highest quality. Having said this I can't stress strongly enough that a new bat has got to feel good in your own hands, the pick up of the bat and the shape and thickness of the handle are very important. The majority of bats that are purchased online from overseas are extremely heavy. While this may suit some players or if you have limited ability it won't make a difference, for the majority a heavy bat can lead to some serious technical problems.

Warranty and after sales service. If buying a bat in Australia through a reputable retailer you are going to be covered if something goes wrong within a certain time frame. Many of the big brands are world wide companies but each country is a separate division. Australian agencies will not honor warranties for bats of the same brand that are purchased overseas. When bats are purchased overseas warranties become messy. If your bat does come with a warranty (many don't) you will have to post it back at your own expense. This process can also be a very lengthy one. 

Fakes. Simply put a lot of the bats that people buy online especially from overseas are not authentic. Many of these bats are not even English Willow and are good for nothing more than a game of pool cricket after having a few stubbies. 

Support. To me this is a very important consideration, when you purchase a bat from a local retailer you are helping support the survival of local small business and the jobs that they provide. These small businesses then feed down support and sponsorship to local cricket clubs that provide back to the community. 

Summary

In summary, while picking up and finding a bat that feels perfect to you can't be beaten for some people it's just not possible to get into a store so online is their only choice. For the greatest chance of getting a bat that will suit you the best way is to know what you want from the start. Make sure you know the weight for sure. The amount of times 'Johnny' says his bat is 2lb 7oz and it's actually 2lb 10oz in itself is another story. Know what type of balance you want, where you want the middle and how thick you want the grip. To limit your chances of getting a plank and finding a bat that best suits you with after sales service choose an Australian cricket specialist store.

Extended In Season Hours

From September both stores will be open Thursday nights til 8pm, saturday from 9am til 3pm and Sundays 11am til 3pm.

Squash ball key to Gilly rampage

THE SECRET WEAPON BEHIND OUR STUNNING WORLD CUP WIN

A simple squash ball stuffed in Adam Gilchrist's batting glove was the secret to his remarkable World Cup-winning century.
Gilchrist's 149-run blitzkrieg set up Australia's third consecutive World Cup victory and reinforced his standing as one-day cricket's most dangerous batsman.
The West Australian can reveal that Gilchrist was honouring a pledge to his batting coach, Bob Meuleman, when he repeatedly gestured to his left glove after reaching his 15th and most significant one-day century.

Gilchrist has been batting with the squash ball in his glove to improve his grip and prevent the bat slipping in his hand.
He promised Meuleman, the former State selector and second member of the three generations of players to appear for WA, that he would acknowledge his coach's faith if he reached three figures.

"I was pretty pumped up and I had a little message that I had to wave to someone at home in Australia about something in my glove," Gilchrist said.
"It's a guy who helps me with my batting at home. I had a squash ball in my bottom hand in the glove that I use in training to help me with my grip.
"His last words to me before I left the indoor training centre in Perth were: 'Well, if you are going to use it, make sure when you score a hundred in the World Cup final you show me and prove to me that you have got it in there'. So I had to stay true to that."
Meuleman said he was delighted when Gilchrist honoured his promise but regretted not taking a $500 bet at $5.50 that his student would be the leading scorer in the World Cup final.

"He owes me a beer!" Meuleman said.

Meuleman provided six worn squash balls to Gilchrist before he set off for the West Indies after convincing the left-hander that having an object in his bottom hand glove would improve his batting technique.

"I've worked with him for 10 years and he has an unusual grip in which his hand goes too far around the back of the bat," Meuleman said.
"The squash ball is a great big lump in your glove but it makes it hard to twist around the back of the bat which improves his grip.
"He had a few hits before he went off to the World Cup when he didn't have the squash ball in and he hit them like he couldn't even play fourth grade. Then he put it in and he then hit the ball so good."

Gilchrist used the squash ball in his glove for the first time in a match when he slammed 131 for WA in a one-dayer against Queensland last November.
He used it throughout the World Cup before abandoning it during the semifinal against South Africa when he made just one but brought it back in Barbados for the final.

It might seem tempting, after a performance of such individual and collective greatness, for Gilchrist, 35, to step away from one-day cricket a fulfilled and satisfied man. But he will resist that temptation for the moment, preferring to wait until the emotion of his 149 in the World Cup final has subsided before making a decision about his future.

Australia's exceptional keeper- batsman put on a display of clean and relentless hitting to knock the stuffing out of Sri Lanka's attack.
Upon cracking Lasith Malinga down the ground to bring up his century in a mere 72 balls, Gilchrist acknowledged all parts of the packed Kensington Oval before turning to the television cameras and pointing to his left glove — his acknowledgement to Meuleman.
In their 100th outing together, Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden produced their biggest opening stand of 172.
Gilchrist reinforced his liking for a big occasion, adding to the half centuries he blazed in the 1999 and 2003 finals against Pakistan and India.

UP AND ADAM

How Gilly smashed the Sri Lankans

149 runs off 104 balls, 13 fours and eight sixes Highest individual score in a World Cup final

His eight sixes equalled the most sixes in a
World Cup innings, joining Ricky Ponting
(2003 final v India) and Imran Nazir

It was his maiden World Cup hundred

It was his 15th one-day international century
and first since 2005-06 third final Australia
v Sri Lanka in Brisbane

He has played in all of Australia's record
three consecutive World Cup triumphs and
has scored at least 50 in each of the finals
(54 v Pakistan at Lord's in 1999 and 57 v India at Johannesburg in 2003)

He became the fifth batsman to score a ton
in a World Cup final, after Clive Lloyd (West
Indies, 102 in 1975), Viv Richards (West Indies,
138 in 1979), Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka, 107
in 1996) and Ricky Ponting (140 in 2003)

He became the fourth wicketkeeper, after Dave Houghton, Andy Flower and
Rahul Dravid, to score a century in World Cups

His innings took him past 9000 ODI runs and
1000 World Cup runs

When Gilchrist caught Upul Tharanga he became the first wicketkeeper to reach 50 World Cup dismissals