There wasn't a single batter in the room who didn't have DKP Icon at the top of their list.
RRP: £499.99
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 40mm
Across 16 bats by major manufacturers, the Ton Nemesis III was the top of the pile with ‘the sweetest of centres’ for testers who rated the performance highest on the day.
RRP: £275
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 35mm
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
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 35mm
The famous Australian batmakers get Alex Tudor’s seal of approval with the Ghost 3.1. He described it as a “good trustworthy bat” which “will only get better the more you use it”
RRP: £300
Weight: 2lb 7oz
Edges: 31mm
Lighter, but packs a punch was the verdict of The Cricketer’s student testers when handed the Gunn & Moore Diamond DXM 909.
RRP: £380
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 30mm
"Really good bat, light pick up, great middle and well built," said one tester about the Gray-Nicolls Shockwave. You can't really ask for much more than that.
RRP: £225
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 30mm
The R11 Volante is the latest product in the Chase range and follows our review of the ever-popular R7 in 2023.
RRP: £420
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 35mm
The most expensive Gray-Nicolls bat in our selection, the Gray-Nicolls Tempesta received generally positive reviews.
RRP: £325
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 36mm
Consistency was a key theme among the ratings for the Gladiator, which scored an average of 7.8 across three categories – pick up and feel, build quality and performance.
RRP: £200
Weight: 2lb 10oz
Edges: 35mm
As one of the heavier bats tested, the Newbury’s pick up and feel was the star of the show. One student described it as ‘just a good bat’ adding: “Not too heavy, had something when you hit it. Really grippy.”
RRP: £236
Weight: 2lb 11oz
Edges: 28mm
It is off the middle where the DSC Blak really delivers in terms of power; if you can connect with good timing the ball can really fly.
RRP: £236
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 37mm
The main takeaway from 10 minutes with the DSC XLite 2.0 was, for all our testers, a very generous middle and the consistency of contact right the way down the bat.
RRP: £372
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 35mm
Former England international Alex Tudor liked the “well presented” colour scheme and said the bat “performs well” to match.
RRP: £350
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 38mm
The Powerspot's position in history has been cemented by David Gower and Michael Atherton so there is no need for Gray-Nicolls to reinvent the wheel here.
RRP: £180
Weight: 2lb 10oz
Edges: 34mm
The middle of the Gunn & Moore Mana DXM was variously described as “good”, “solid”, “reliable” and “sweet”.
RRP: £205
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 33mm
The retro look of the bat was a highlight for some and a turn-off for others, and there was a similar split between the Cricketer’s team and the student testers on the bat's performance.
RRP: £190
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 35mm
"If you are a bit more of a beat ball cricketer - going out to whack it, the Gunn & Moore Aion is probably perfect for you" says tester Alex Tudor.
RRP: £175
Weight: 2lb 11oz
Edges: 37mm
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