Cricket bats are eye-watering in terms of how expensive they can be, but luckily, there are options for senior cricketers that don’t have to cost the earth and still give you the quality and reliability you need.
When you’re searching for a “senior” cricket bat you might be looking for one of two things:
- It could be that you are moving from “junior” cricket to “senior” cricket. This means you’re ready to play with adults and use the adult sizes of cricket bats. All age cricket is often referred to as “senior” cricket by the junior age groups.
- It could be that you are, yourself, a “senior”. Cricket is one of those sports where people can keep playing well into their dotage, especially at village level. There are plenty of 60+ teams out there to ensure you can play with people of your own age.
A senior cricket bat is suitable whether you’re 25 or 65. In this guide, we’ve got some of the best cricket bats seniors can get their hands on, including a very affordable option from the Village Cricket Co. that still provides the professional quality, durability, and playability that you need.
Senior Cricket Bat Sizes
When you’re playing in any adult team, the chances are you are probably going to be using one of the adult sizes or full-sized cricket bats.
There are still a couple of choices to be made, though. Junior cricket bats come in sizes 1 through to 6, but adult bats tend to be labelled one of two things: SH or LH. SH means “short handle” and it isn’t particularly short. Most adult players who are 6 ft 3 in or shorter will use one of these. LH or “long handle” bats are great for the taller players out there.
There is also the Harrow size, which is suitable for some smaller adult players and seniors but mainly used by teenagers.
The Village Cricket Bat – £97 Senior Cricket Bat
£97 – Buy on Village Cricket Co
If you consider yourself a senior cricketer there’s every chance you’re a village cricketer, and that means you don’t want to spend a fortune on your equipment. A £500 bat isn’t realistic for a lot of people, and luckily it isn’t needed as the Village Cricket Bat gives a great alternative.
The bat is made out of quality Kashmir willow, the same species as English willow but grown in slightly different conditions in India. The bat appears a little darker and is the same high-quality wood you’d expect to make a bat with.
The bat has a low middle which is perfect for English conditions, it can even help with your pickup and allow you to get some big scores when playing at the weekend. At 2lb 9oz, the bat is in the mid-range when it comes to weight, so suitable for all sorts of batters with varying levels of strength.
The bat comes with its own carrying bag and is already knocked in when it arrives so it will be ready to go and get playing straight away. To find a bat that is so affordable and ideal for English conditions for under £100 is extremely rare.
The affordable nature of the bat also means the Village Cricket Bat is perfect for keeping in your local cricket club’s kit bag if anyone forgets (or breaks) their bat.
TON Pure Drive Cricket Bat
RRP: £190 – Buy on Cricket Direct
The TON brand has developed quite the reputation in recent years and they have some pretty good bats. If you have a decent budget (without wanting to spend a fortune) then this could be a good option. It’s got a large face and can definitely suit adult players of all ages.
The bat is made out of English Willow but the quality isn’t always top notch. This is one of the reasons the price is a little bit lower than a lot of other TON bats.
The willow has been air dried before turned into a bat and this does seem to do a very good job in terms of a nice pickup. It has a Camo ZIggZagg grip and definitely looks the part. It is possible you’ll see a few imperfections on the wood, and the bat doesn’t come knocked in like the Village Cricket Bat.
Gray-Nicolls Powerbow Inferno Pro Performance Cricket Bat – Elite Cricket Bat For Seniors
RRP: £500 – Buy on Cricket Direct
If you’re ready to splash out and don’t mind spending a large amount of money on a bat, then the Gray-Nicolls Powerbow Inferno Pro could be worth considering.
One of the reasons this is a cricket bat seniors can get behind is that it is suitable for cricketers no matter how strong you are. You can choose your desired weight, from 2 lb 7 oz up to 3lb. This means that if you are a big strong player who wants to brutally hit six after six then you might go for a heavy bat, but a touch player or one without this level of power could go for a lighter bat to suit.
The curvature of the bat helps you to generate a bit of extra power. In the words of the manufacturer this is a full profile bat with a dynamic low swell and dramatically feathered toe, combined with the mark’s synonymous long exaggerated bow”. It’s this, the “Powerbow” that gives the bat its trademark design.
There’s no denying that the bat looks great, too, and the options to choose SH or LH as well as different weights is a real bonus. It all depends if your bank balance can take the hit.
Summary
With models like the Village Cricket Bat, senior cricket players are delighted to learn they don’t have to splash out a fortune to enjoy a bat that you know is going to serve you well. Village cricketers come in all different ages, shapes, and sizes, but with the versatile Village Cricket Bat, every cricketer can enjoy the same level of value and quality.