With edges of 36mm, this was far from the bulkiest bat on display at The Cricketer's testing day, so with scores of above 8 across the board this was one of the best blades.
RRP: £399
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 36mm
What the 1.3 300 possibly loses in specialist craftsmanship – note the very square toe – it makes up for in basic assets. You can't really argue with a bat that costs less than £200 yet clocks in an average rating of 8.5.
RRP: £175
Weight: 2lb 10oz
Edges: 40mm
The somewhat plain design doesn’t mark the Volante R7 out as an especially edgy product but it earned plaudits for its pick-up, especially given a weight of 2lb 10oz.
RRP: £280
Weight: 2lb 10oz
Edges: 38mm
Like most GM bats, the Hypa feels properly curated and that is reflected in a price north of £275.
RRP: £350
Weight: 2lb 10oz
Edges: 38mm
What is clear from our testing process, is that the Brava DXM 606 represents great value for money.
RRP: £165
Weight: 2lb 12oz
Edges: 39mm
SOLD OUT
At £524.99, it's an expensive piece of willow, but the collective praise is evidence of a high-class bat and a brand that is continuing to make a splash.
RRP: £524.99
Weight: 2lb 9.9oz
Edges: 40mm
Not the lightest pickup in the world and a low middle, but if those things are your cup of tea and if you play your cricket on a low deck, then you could do worse than join Virat Kohli.
RRP: £265
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 41mm
With 38mm edges and a weight of 2lb 9oz, this has something for everyone: neither too heavy nor too light, with a fairly central middle and a decent distribution of weight throughout.
RRP: £320
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 38mm
No one could question the quality or generosity of the middle, while its weight – 2oz 9lb – allowed a broad spectrum of strokes.
RRP: £240
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 38mm
At £405, it doesn’t come cheap. But for anyone looking for a light bat – this weighed just 2lb 8oz – this might be the one for you.
RRP: £405
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 36mm
It doesn't come cheap, with a recommended retail price of £390, but – in the grand scheme of bat prices these days – you wouldn't be wasting your money on a dud.
RRP: £240
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 38mm
Kookaburra have gone full retro with the Bubble, taking us back to the late 1990s and early noughties with a design that split the crowd.
RRP: £225
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 36mm
The Vapor has another futuristic set of stickers, if not have the most startling of designs, but Kookaburra have clearly saved their funds for the willow itself.
RRP: £175
Weight: 2lb 7oz
Edges: 37mm
At 2lb 9oz, it wasn't overly heavy and, with edges approaching four centimetres, there was plenty of wood behind each stroke. The quality out of the middle was undeniable.
RRP: £250
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 38mm
More than anything, this felt like a classy piece of wood – not only in its generosity if you got a booming drive out of the screws, but also simply from its decoration and its handle.
RRP: £325
Weight: 2lb 9oz
Edges: 37mm
Stag have retained the low middle of the 2022 model, which should suit many of the club players whose staple diet is docile green wickets.
RRP: £399
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 36mm
The Kookaburra Aura 3.1 really is an eye-catching bat, with a fetching blue and red colour scheme riffing off beautifully against the brand's trademark Australian bird.
RRP: £300
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 38mm
One of the cheaper bats on display at The Cricketer's testing day, it outperformed its initial impression, with most of the scepticism focused on the diameter of the handle.
RRP: £200
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 39mm
At 2lb 8oz this was a pretty light blade, and the edges of 37mm didn't provide enough oomph for some to find a wider purchase area.
RRP: £195
Weight: 2lb 8oz
Edges: 37mm
The Omen only comes in at 2lb 12oz, but its bottom-heavy nature – designed to suit players with a front-foot dominance – means that it's a bat built for a very specific type of batter.
RRP: £320
Weight: 2lb 12oz
Edges: 38mm
You wouldn't walk out to bat with this all day in midsummer temperatures, but you might call for it with a couple of overs remaining and boundaries needed.
RRP: £250
Weight: 2lb 13oz
Edges: 43mm
Although the Kyros Signature weighs in at 2lb 11oz, the edges are just 34mm thick, and the toe not as big as you'd expect from a modern blade.
RRP: £190
Weight: 2lb 11oz
Edges: 34mm
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.
