Some of the Best Cricket Brands Worldwide
Gunn & Moore (UK)
I’ve mainly used Gunn & Moore bats over my career in club cricket and, while that’s not necessarily a recommendation, I really like the way they pick up and feel. I’m also in quite good company: In the present day, New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, South Africa’s Aiden Markram and England’s Dawid Malan are among those who use the G&M Zelos.
They are based in Nottingham so those who grew up watching cricket in the 1980s may remember some of the players from that county. Tim Robinson and Derek Randall are among those international batsmen who first brought Gunn and Moore to my own attention.
They are a long-established UK company who first started trading in 1885 and they therefore concentrate on producing bats that use English willow. All sizes are made here from junior level upwards and they continue to be a prolific producer for club and professional cricketers alike.
SG: Sanspareils Greenlands (India)
Indian cricket bat manufacturers are often referred to by their abbreviations so Sanspareils Greenlands is more commonly known as SG. A balance of power and precision is the aim of this company and the branding on these bats is very distinctive.
The use of the bats is fairly widespread in international cricket and Hardik Pandya used the SG Savage Xtreme. That’s quite a fearsome name and Hardik is a powerful cricketer, capable of clearing the boundaries in T20 cricket around the world.
Sanspareils Greenlands was founded back in 1931 by the Anand brothers and the brand really took off when Sunil Gavaskar became their ambassador in the 1970s. Twenty years later, Rahul Dravid was the face of SG and, in the present day, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are among those who use these bats. Clearly, if you’re considering purchasing an SG product, you’ll be in very good company.
Kookaburra (Australia)
This is one of the few overseas producers whose bats are widely available in the UK and in other parts of the world outside of Australia. Kookaburra deliver an extensive range of bats and, like most companies on this list, they also produce other equipment including balls which are used in test matches and other professional cricket.
Most of the Aussie international cricketers of the 1990s and 2000s seemed to use these products but Kookaburra can now be seen in more parts of the world than ever before. England’s Keaton Jennings has played with the Kookaburra Ghost while other batters associated with the brand include Yuvraj Singh and Sanath Jayasuriya.
The company now has distributors in many countries so the costs of their equipment isn’t so bad. These are, however, premium products and an average Kookaburra bat may cost around £300 in the UK. English willow is primarily used and the brand also provides junior bats.
CA (Pakistan)
Like a number of the newer producers, CA’s top of the range bat focuses on power. The CA Plus 1500 Players Edition comes with big edges and a huge sweet spot so should be ideal for the limited overs big hitters. There are other bats available that could be more suitable for those who rely on timing but the main emphasis is on power and distance.
That theory is backed up by the fact that England’s World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan is among a big and impressive list of brand ambassadors. Other players who currently use CA bats are Asif Ali, Shoaib Malik, Tamim Iqbal, Evin Lewis and Sherfane Rutherford. Some of those batsmen are touch players so it’s clear that CA can produce a product for all types of hitters.
English willow is the main focus for this brand which first appeared in the 1960s. Adult and junior bats are produced here.
D&P Cricket (South Africa)
This is probably the most recognisable bat brand coming out of South Africa right now. D&P Cricket were set up in Cape Town in 1999 and they now have distributors in many countries across the world.
A list of the current sponsored players shows that the focus here remains largely on South African cricket. Current international George Linde is on the list and he’s joined by Marchant De Lange, Bjorn Fortuin, Keegan Peterson and top women’s player Laura Wolvaardt. There isn’t too much sponsorship activity outside of Africa but D&P are also used by international cricketers from Ireland and the Netherlands.
English willow is exclusively produced here and the company reports that owner Paul Borst regularly flies to India to pick up new techniques which help to develop the products. Junior bats are supplied too.
It’s a growing company but D&P will only really start to make an impact when their bats are more widely seen outside of South Africa.
Gray Nicolls (UK)
Founded in 1855, Gray Nicolls cricket equipment has been widely used for over 150 years but their bats largely came to prominence in the 1980s. One of the players who I most admired at that time was David Gower and he preferred the Gray Nicolls brand.
Modern day players also like the bats with David Warner and Kane Williamson among the company’s many customers. That’s an interesting combination for me – one is a power hitter while the other relies more on touch and timing so it suggests that Gray Nicolls can produce bats for all types of player.
Junior ranges are catered for too and, like most UK manufacturers, the emphasis is on premium English willow. A long history is important when considering a new bat and Gray Nicolls are one of the oldest brands around. I’d strongly recommend them and so would a number of top international players.
MRF (India)
I would say that this is the most recognisable bat brand from India but I’d like to hear other opinions on the subject. MRF seems to appear more regular on our TV broadcasts here and I know that their bats have been used by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. That must be a huge endorsement and, if I could easily get hold of one, I’d certainly give MRF a try.
It would also be interesting to see MRF being used more widely by players outside of India and I understand that this is just starting to happen.
English willow and Kashmir willow are available from a brand that produces a full range of products for youths and adults. Established in the 1980s, MRF became a household name from the 1990s onwards when some of India’s biggest stars began to use their bats. These days, they are more readily available thanks to a larger distribution network in the UK and beyond.