"This bat has a perfect swing thanks to the great weight. When you found the middle, it properly pinged and if you connect right it goes. It was the best I’ve used all day"
RRP: £375, Edges: 34mm, Weight: 2lb 7oz
The Kookaburra Rapid 3.1 is designed for all players, no matter their age or ability. This is extended to female cricketers as the bat has a modern shape, intended to make it lighter.
The versatility of the bat was reflected in the testing process, with one player simply describing it as a "good all-rounder."
It was not universally loved but most of our testers agreed that the pick-up was the highlight, with four players agreeing that the bat was "nice and light."
The other element of Rapid 3.1 that was widely agreed upon was that there was "pretty good ping" from the middle, but "if you do not hit it off the middle, it does not fly off".
One of the student testers was glowing in their praise of the bat and said: "This bat has a perfect swing thanks to the great weight. When you found the middle, it properly pinged and if you connect right it goes. It was the best I’ve used all day."
For James Coyne, the bat's appearance let it down, but fortunately the performance was unaffected.
He explained: "The bat looks ugly, square and horrible but it performed better than expected."
Initial impression: 7.2
Build quality: 7.0
Pick-up/feel: 8.0
Performance: 7.7
OVERALL SCORE: 7.5
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