ENGLISH WILLOW
English willows are the most premium willow imported from the United Kingdom (UK). No doubt the quality of English willows is way better than the other bats, but there are some grades of the bats available in the English willow bats as well. The grades in the English willow are based on the colour, grains, playability, price, etc of the best English willow cricket bats. Are these grades of willows confusing? Following is the list of all the four grades of English willows present, along with their features.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
English Willow
Grades of English Willow
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
GRADES OF ENGLISH WILLOW
1) GRADE 1
As the name itself is grade 1, it is the most premium quality English willow bat on this list. Here some redwood is present on the edge of the blade. Being the best-looking blade, there are a minimum of 6 grains visible on its face. It also consists of a clean playing area.
2) GRADE 2
Similar to the grade 1 English willow bat, this is also a good quality cricket bat with comparatively a larger amount of red wood present on its edges. Even then, you won’t feel any difference in its playability. Here as well, there are at least 6 straight grains present on its face. There may be some blemishes, pin knots, or ‘specks’ visible in this top-quality English willow bat.
3) GRADE 3
The grade 3 in the best English willow bats is a middle-grade cricket bat. Also, grade 3 is the best-selling English willow cricket bat among all the grades in this list. The prime reason behind this is its affordability and great playability. This bat comes with a minimum of 5 grains present on its blade’s face. Also, there are some minor knots or butterfly stains that may be present.
4) GRADE 4
The grade 4 bat in the top English willow bats is usually over half colored or may contain butterfly stain as well. Here, there may be around 4 grains only, and the willow consisting of ‘butterfly’ stains is too strong. You can go with a grade 4 English willow bat if you are buying it for practice purposes only. For professional playing, it will be better to go with any of the above three grades of cricket bats.
CONCLUSION
While buying a cricket bat for yourself, you must be well educated regarding the grades of the top English willow bats. Apart from some visible differences, the English willow cricket bats are not much different from each other. If you are a professional or aspiring player and do not have budget problems, you may go with a grade 1 or grade 2 bat. Grade 3 English willow cricket bat too is a great pick considering the budget. Moreover, if you wish to have a bat only for practice purposes or playing unprofessional matches, the grade 4 bats are the best pick for you then.
