Buying a cricket bat takes an understanding of the components of the bat and how it is put together. Cricket is a very popular game and having the right equipment is important. Picking a good cricket is simple using our guide.

Know the construction and size of a cricket bat. The overall length of a bat is no more than 38 inches. It has two parts: the blade and the handle. The handle of a good cricket bat is the most expensive part of the bat and it takes up to 20 separate pieces of cane with rubber layers glued into it to act as shock absorbers. It is also important to remember to select the model of cricket bat that most suitably fits your style of play, for example the Kookaburra CCX range of cricket bats is designed for ‘aggressive destroyers.’

Choose the handle length and diameter that fits your height and hand size. The handle can be long or short as long as the overall length of the bat does not exceed the 38 inch limit. The best way to determine if a bat is the right size, is to stand in your batting stance and rest the toe of the bat against the outside of your back foot, lean the cricket bat so that the top of the handle rests next to the inside groin of your front leg. If the bat is of the right size it should rest comfortably on the inside groin of your front leg.

Decide which type of willow you want for the blade. The best bats are made of English willow, a soft fibrous wood with excellent rebound qualities when the ball strikes the middle of the blade. Lower grade bats are made from Kashmir willow which is a harder more brittle wood. Look for compressed curved bat blades, never shaved bats as they are not as good.

Test the performance of the bat by bouncing a red leather cricket ball on the blade several times while holding it by the handle. On a good blade, the ball will bounce high or spring. On a blade of lesser quality, the ball will bounce lower and seem dead. Be sure the blade contains no knots as these are dead areas on the bat.

Sportsmart stocks a variety of cricket bats and accessories that you can view online. You can also visit our stores to get expert advice from our bat ‘n’ ball staff on choosing a cricket bat that is right for you. We also offer our customers a cricket bat preparation service. Simply ask our staff for more details.

Batting is not an easy thing to do on the cricket field. Proper footwork is important when batting. Footwork is probably the most crucial aspect of batting and a batsman must have excellent footwork in order to play different kinds of shots. An advantage of having good footwork is that it allows you to time the ball and place the ball perfectly in the gaps. Good footwork enables you to be in the best position to hit any ball perfectly with the cricket bat. You must work really hard on your footwork if you want to perfect your batting skills and hit different types of shots. Timing of your shots also becomes easier if you have a sound footwork technique.

Grip is another important aspect of batting. A batsman must have an ideal grip in order to play all the strokes properly. The ideal grip on the bat must be both hands together at the handle of the bat. Make sure that your grip is not too loose or too tight. The correct grip does not restrict you in any way of playing any shots.

As a batsman you must play each ball to your advantage. It is not possible every time for a bowler to bowl six good balls in an over and it is also extremely rare that you will receive six bad balls in an over. You have to remember that it only takes one good ball to get you out. Make sure you watch every ball carefully. Keep watching the ball in the bowlers hand until the ball is delivered. By doing this, you can easily find out what kind of ball the bowler is going to deliver. You will also be prepared in advance to face the type of ball being bowled to you and are able to adjust your footwork accordingly.

Stance is often ignored in batting.  Not many people realise just how important batting stance is. You must ensure that you are basically side on to the bowler, this will decrease the time you need to get your feet in a decent position to hit the ball. Your feet should be shoulder width apart. This will ensure that you are balanced at the crease as your weight will be evenly distributed.

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

Sportsmart is joining forces with Cricket4Kids in a donation drive for used cricket equipment for cricket in developing nations.

Cricket4Kids will be overseeing the collection of all donated cricket equipment – in particular junior and senior cricket bats, pads, gloves, wicket keeping gear, stumps, plastic cricket bats, tennis balls, training aids, mats and all kinds of cricket balls – from cricket clubs around Melbourne.

Please do a check for unwanted equipment in your home and club rooms and arrange to have the items dropped off at your local Sportsmart store. The success of this project depends on you.

In addition to helping out cricketers in developing nations, you will also receive a 20% discount off new replacement cricket equipment in exchange for your donation. Download your voucher here and present it at your local Sportsmart store upon donation of your cricket equipment. The voucher is valid with donation until 31^st January 2011.

More info is available here.

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

With all the research and technology that Masuri have put into this helmet, it is no wonder that it’s number 1 on the market!

The Masuri Titanium helmet is SUPER light weight. It’s made from fibreglass and, after wearing one for about a week now, it feels almost half the weight of my old Albion Elite. The players I’ve spoken to have said they feel a lot fresher and are able to bat for a longer time.

The helmet has really good vision: there are fewer bars used on the grill and those that are there are very thin and no distraction to the batsman, making it much easier to stay focused on the ball.

The helmet comes complete with a headband to soak up sweat and an adjustable strap at the back for a perfect fit so it does not move around during stroke play.

The cost, $215 with the titanium grille @ Sportsmart, may sway you towards buying a cheaper alternative. But for its safety and player comfort it is well worth the extra cash.

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

Just had a run in the new Asics Gel-Gully 2!

First impression out of the box: the shoes look great, and I can happily say they feel just as good. The shoes come complete with both metal and soft spikes, which is really handy because I can change to suit the cricket pitch and ground conditions on the day.

The Asics Gel-Gully 2 is also recommended by Simon Katich – “Perfect batting shoe – good grip, durable and fits my feet well.”

Specs: http://www.asics.com.au/footwear/cricket-shoes/gel-gully-2-mens.aspx

Sportsmart sells the Asics Gel-Gully 2 shoes for $169 (or $159 for Smart Card members)

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

The Kookaburra Blade Players cricket bat honestly has a great pick up and feels incredibly comfortable in my hands.

The back of the bat is scalloped but maintains its big edges, which gives it an even balance.

If you’re after a lightweight bat to help technique, or looking for that bit of extra time against fast bowling, it’s definitely worth having a look at this bat.  I’m really looking forward to using it on Saturday.

Check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=447529663216&set=a.447528608216.209111.101006608216

And here: http://www.kookaburra.biz/cricket-ranges.html

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

Correct cricket bat preparation and maintenance will reduce the possibility of damage occurring and increase your bat’s lifespan.

Thanks to the Sportsmart team, my bat is now ready to use on Saturday. The blade was evenly oiled, pressed using their very own machine and a sheet of extra-tec applied to provide protection – and I picked it up within a week! Sportsmart offers this deluxe bat preparation package for only $40 per bat.

For more on Sportsmart’s bat preparation packages go to: https://sportsmart.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/cricket-bat-preparation/

For information on how to prepare your bat go to: https://sportsmart.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/cricket_bat-preparation/

The winner of Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program, Bradley Van Twest, provides regular blog articles on his favourite topic – cricket …

On my arrival at the Moorabbin store on Cochranes Road, I was welcomed by a number of friendly staff and I was taken on a tour through the many departments in Melbourne’s largest sports warehouse.

I was very impressed by the cricket department due to their large range of quality cricket stock, especially Kookaburra’s Players range. The fact that they have a cricket expert on hand at all times makes life that much easier! They are there to answer any of your questions. I was also very lucky to meet the owner of Kookaburra who was on one of his regular visits to the store – he gave me some excellent advice on bat care.

Interesting to note, Sportsmart is a family run business, with Moorabbin being the original warehouse starting in 1983.

Sportsmart and Kookaburra’s cricket sponsorship program winner Bradley Van Twest (R) with Sportsmart Director Gerrard Woods (L)