Salix Daemon Grade One

I'd always loved Salix's stickers and quality of bats, however their prices were quite steep. One of my friends has a Salix Pod One (2lb 8oz) and it feels lighter than any other bat I've ever picked up - including harrow-sized ones. Luckily, I managed to get to Salix's "factory" in Langley, near Maidstone. After an hour of picking up different models at different weights I had a look in the bin of factory seconds (bats with reduced price due to cosmetic or pressing faults). The first one I picked up was the Daemon and I loved it straightaway. Tapped it up with a mallet and the expert help of Andrew Kember (Salix Founder and Podshaver) and realised it was a beauty. Luck was clearly on my side as due to pressing cracks, which would shorten the life span, the price had been reduced down to £75. I grabbed a corker of a bargain and have not regretted parting with the cash one bit. My only regret is that I didn't get two of the same for when this one eventually breaks. An absolutely cracking bat!

RRP - £220

Ping -10/10

Durability - 9/10

Pick Up - 9/10

Overall - 10/10

Do you own/ have you owned one? If so please comment below on your experience with it.

Bellingham & Smith Limited Edition

As a bat lover, it's one of my ambitions to try the best bats from around the world - in addition to some rubbish ones while I'm trying to find the best. Bellingham and Smith (B&S) are a leading South African brand; they're supposedly the best SA batmakers. They make bats for many of the SA team which are then stickered up since the bigger brands can afford to pay more in sponsorship fees. I managed to get my hands on a second hand one which had recently been refurbished, and have not been disappointed. The bat I have weighs 2lb 9oz and has between 8-10 straight grains. Having used it, I would have to say it is second only to a Newbery Uzi SPS and a second hand pro's GN that I used for a match. For such a top quality bat it is great value for money especially if you're located in SA.

RRP - £180

Ping - 9/10

Durability - 10/10

Pick Up - 8/10

Overall - 9/10

Do you own/ have you owned one? If so please comment below on your experience with it.

Woodworm ibat Pro

This bat is available in weights from 2lb 6oz to 2lb 10oz. After purchase a guy from Woodworm rings you up and asks what you want in terms of middle, pick up, grain, and weight. However I found that there wasn't that much room to manoeuvre.
The bat I order had 9 straight grains on it and a mid-low middle because English pitches are notoriously slow and low, especially early in the season. One thing I noticed when looking at the photos on the site was that the toe seems quite thin. I'd be very worried, especially considering my experiences with Woodworm bats, that it might split.

RRP - £199

Ping - 8/10
Durability - 5/10
Pick Up - 7/10

Overall - 7/10

Do you own/ have you owned one? If so please comment below on your experience with it.

Gunn & Moore Icon DXM Original

I like Gunn and Moore as they are one of the older English cricket bat companies and seem to produce a consistently good product. The Icon DXM is their new bat for 2009 and utilises the newest GM machinery - that's what the DXM means. Immediately upon seeing the bat I noticed that the edges are very thick for an English made bat. The bat weighed 2lb 10oz which is more than I usually like however the Icon has a mid to high middle and so picked up much lighter. It felt brilliant in the hands. I couldn't wait to hit a few balls with it. The ball flew off the bat, even the mis-hit shots soared. I can't believe that this is the second best of the range (the Original LE). A devastatingly good cricket bat!

RRP - £280

Ping - 9/10
Durability - 8/10
Pick Up - 10/10

Overall - 9/10

Do you own/ have you owned one? If so please comment below on your experience with it.