Bat Review: Gray Nicolls Stratos 1.1 Players cricket bat 2025

"It feels like a wide bat, which I like"

RRP: £500, Edges: 35mm, Weight: 2lb 9oz

Blue Stratos is an aftershave, but did Gray-Nicolls’ Stratos come up smelling well with our testers? On the whole, yes.

"It performed well, like most Gray-Nicolls," said The Cricketer writer Nick Friend. He added that its appearance would appeal to youngsters.

As if to prove that point, a student said: "It’s a heavy bat for me, but it has a great middle. Gray-Nicolls are a good brand. I do like a lighter bat, but it’s very good looking."

Another said: "It has a nice pick-up. The stickers make it look really sweet. It feels like a wide bat, which I like."

It was not a completely positive sets of reviews. One said: "It’s a decent bat, but the pick-up is a bit heavy… it’s also a bit square."

Finally, one of their colleagues had no such misgivings: "That’s the best one I’ve tried so far. The circumference of the handle is really nice. It has a fine pick-up, and a great sweet spot. Perfect."

Initial impression: 7.6

Build quality: 8.0

Pick-up/feel: 8.0

Performance: 8.4

OVERALL SCORE: 8.0 

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