Former England international Alex Tudor was full of praise for the good weight and balance of the Kookaburra Stealth, which left him full of trust that he didn’t have to overhit deliveries
RRP: £200, Edges: 35mm, Weight: 2lb 9oz
“Willow” was a UK number three hit for Taylor Swift in 2020, but quite whether this was the track one of our testers had in mind when he compared this Kookaburra offering to the American songstress is unclear.
Editor Huw Turbervill made the comparison on the basis of the Stealth’s “sleek design, nice light pick up and creamy middle”. To quote another of Swift’s hits, this instrument could well prove “trouble” for bowlers based on such claims.
Former England international Alex Tudor was full of praise for the good weight and balance of the model, which left him full of trust that he didn’t have to overhit deliveries.
Downsides included an assessment by one Reed’s School pupil who felt the bat would “only be good for players who are really able to find the middle”, with another describing it as “a bit heavy”.
Journalist Nick Friend, who was able to find the middle, noted it “really pinged” and offered his recommendation.
To overdo the Taylor Swift song title references, our testers were left with the overall feeling that they wouldn’t be leaving a “blank space” in the scorebook if they had this bit of kit in their hands.
Initial impression: 7.6
Build quality: 8
Pick-up/feel: 7.7
Performance: 8.1
OVERALL SCORE: 7.9
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