Nitro Cricket Blog

Nitro Indoor Cricket Bats at the World Cup!

Nitro Cricket — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:44:03 +0000

Below are a couple of photos of Nitro Indoor Cricket Bats used in the Indoor Cricket World Cup. Congratulations to Ty Hopes, Nick DeGrys, Vinesh Bennett, Danny MacLauchlan, Lee Irwin and the rest of the squad.

Western Australia - 2009 Indoor Open Mens Champions

Nitro Cricket — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:44:17 +0000

Western Australia took out the Open Mens division of the 2009 Indoor Open Championships, which were held earlier this month. WA saved their best for last to defeat Queensland in the Grand Final 145 - 83. Congratulations to all involved with the side and best of luck next year!

This tournament was also the first major event at which the Nitro Indoor Cricket range was used. Congratulations to the following players, who use and endorse Nitro Indoor Cricket Equipment, for their performances throughout the tournament; Nick De Grys (Player of the Final, Player of the Tournament, Australian All Star Squad), Ty Hopes (Australian All Star Squad), Lee Irwin (Australian All Star Squad), Danny McLauchlan (Australian All Star Squad), Scott Brown & Matt Stiller.

You can read more about the tournament and get detailed results from http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=openindoorchamps09

Nitro Cricket Store Open

Nitro Cricket — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:01:23 +0000

The Nitro Cricket Store is now open again, and processing orders.

We have a backlog of orders for the Players Indoor Cricket Bat and are waiting on the arrival of new stock. Look out for Nitro Cricket Indoor Batting Gloves in the next few weeks, these will be a professional level glove specificly designed for Indoor Cricket.

Nitro Cricket Temporary Store Closure

Nitro Cricket — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:04:02 +0000

Nitro Cricket Online Store will be temporarily closed from June 1st through to July 10th, as I am away on holiday.

All orders will need to placed and payment cleared by close of business Friday 29th May, for delivery prior to the closure period. I will attempt to answer email enquiries as per usual, but orders will not be dispatched during the closure.

Morrant International Ultralite In Stock

Nitro Cricket — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:51:08 +0000

We have just received a replenishment of the Morrant International Ultralite batting pads. These pads have a very good reputation and are a favourite of many of India’s superstars. They are currently being heavily used in the IPL, by MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar amongst many others.

If you haven’t seen them already, take a look here.

My New Match Bat

Nitro Cricket — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:32:21 +0000

I’ve finally been able to settle on a new match bat for this season (it’s only taken about 6 months!). Anyway, I’ve chosen a BDM Limited Edition, weighing 2 Lb 8 Oz. It’s a really nice straight, clean cleft and looks awesome. Big edges, fairly low middle, bowed blade - everything you’d expect really. The pictures will explain it better than me!

I’ve already oiled it and started knocking in, so hopefully I’ll be using it this weekend.

BDM LE Front

BDM LE Grain

BDM LE Profile

BDM LE Edge

BDM LE Back

BDM LE Face

BDM Titanium Batting Pads Back In Stock

Nitro Cricket — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:15:12 +0000

We have just received our latest shipment of BDM Titanium Batting Pads, and they are ready to dispatch.

Additionally we have added the SG Maxilite XL Batting Pads to our range, which are another ultra lightweight, two strap batting pad. These will be added to our store shortly.

What is Heartwood?

Nitro Cricket — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:43:20 +0000

Heartwood or Redwood is the darker willow, which is from the centre of the willow tree. It has a lower sap content than the white outer wood “sapwood”, and so is slightly drier and harder.

Many people suggest that heartwood provides better performance, with a potentially reduced life span. But with proper care, longevity really shouldn’t be a problem.

A Cricket Bat Blade - Sapwood on the left, Heartwood (Redwood) on the right

Differences Between Kashmir Willow and English Willow

Nitro Cricket — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:06:23 +0000

There are several different types of wood used in Cricket Bats, the two major types are Kashmir Willow and English Willow. Kashmir Willow is native to India and Pakistan, and grows in the wild. On the other hand English Willow (Salix Caerulea or Alba Var), used in the manufacture of cricket bats, is grown in plantations specifically for cricket bats. It may sound stupid, but English Willow is grown in England - Willow grown outside English is NOT English Willow.

How to tell the difference between English & Kashmir Willow

On inspection English Willow will be much whiter than Kashmir Willow, and will have more well defined or obvious grains. Kashmir willow also tends to have a red/brown colour to it and its grains will tend not to be particularly straight or uniform, due to the growing conditions.

Below are examples of both English and Kashmir Willow, the Kashmir Willow bat is poly coated.

English Willow

Kashmir Willow

Performance of English and Kashmir Willow

English Willow is the best material to use in a Cricket Bat. It is much softer than Kashmir Willow, and thus has much better performance. Additionally Kashmir Willow is dryer and more brittle than English Willow.

What is the Splice?

Nitro Cricket — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:35:05 +0000

The splice of a cricket bat is the area where the handle is fitted to the blade. On most bats the splice is covered up totally by the manufacturer or brands stickers. When oiling a cricket bat, it is recommended to avoid oiling the splice. The splice forms a V shape, pictured below;

Cricket Bat Splice