Best Cricket Bats to Help Your Kid Fall in Love With the Game in the UK

Ram Cricket is a company whose sole focus in production is cricket (hence, the name). They sell all kinds of cricket-related equipment like bats and balls, nets, marker cones, as well as general training tools like agility ladders, for example. And not just that, the range of items include equipment not only for players but also for coaches, which make them a popular outlet for schools and clubs where cricket is a thing.

Their Crazy line of cricket bats offers the model in a number of sizes, from 3 to 6, which allows both kids and not-too-tall adults to use them. The material is plastic but if you worry about its durability there is nothing to fear, really, since the quality polymer this bat is made of is strong enough to train not only with soft plastic balls but with semi-hard rubber ones as well, the bat won't deform from the power of your kid's hit. The handle is encased in a non-skid chevron grip known to be a very good choice to improve the beginner batter's control over the bat.

We liked the overall design of this plastic cricket bat: with all the black and red with a touch of white and yellow, it is quite aggressive looking, a nice pick for sports where the mood, both the players' and their opponents', is an important factor. It also reflects the line name.

Gray-Nicolls is the company that officially supplies the equipment to the International Cricket Council. Which is to say, the quality of their products is top-notch. Furthermore, formed by merging two already famous companies in the 1940s, it is now the company with a large list of endorsed cricketers from all around the world, Ireland to India to Australia to South Africa. What is it if not another proof of the company's achievements on the cricket market?

The model offered here is a KWIK cricket bat. KWIK is a type of cricket that is played at higher speeds and with some changes to the rules. KWIK is always played with a plastic bat, and this one is made of a moulded plastic of the highest quality making it very tough. The bat also has a design similar to the bats for the usual cricket; this design makes it easier to hit with more power without losing precision. The Gray-Nicolls KWIK is one of the lightest cricket bats on the market and it is offered in kids sizes starting from the 0 size, so you can introduce cricket to your kids starting at a very young age. Keep in mind, though, that transferring from a plastic KWIK bat to a wooden one for the traditional cricket might take some time, we do advise you to take it without rush.

Every single cricket bat needs knocking in, even if it is stated by the manufacturer that the certain model is pre-knocked in. That is why, even though this is a mallet and not a bat we've decided to include this item in our review.

The most prominent feature of this mallet is that it has two heads, meaning you will be able to alternate between sides to lower the load—an important detail since knocking in a new bat can (and most probably will) take at least a couple hours, and in some cases, will go up to six. And if your whole family plays? Well, that's a lot of time and load on the mallet. There are, of course, special services offered by all major sellers of cricket equipment who will knock your bat for you but if you wish to control process you can buy the mallet and do it yourself. Also, buying the mallet is cheaper and knocking your bat at home is faster since the services might have queues. Anyway, the two-headed mallet will serve you longer. In addition, this model has seamless heads so there are no 'weak spots' where cracks might happen first. And with the quality wood this mallet for GM cricket bats is made of, it will serve you for years to come.

By the way, Gunn & Moore, shortened to GM, is probably the most popular cricket-focused company in the UK, with the largest number of endorsed cricketers playing for England (for comparison, both Gray-Nicolls and Kookaburra are more popular among Australian players).

This is one of the Kookaburra cricket bats. Kookaburra is an Australian company that deals in two sports mainly, cricket and field hockey. Its name comes from the kookaburra bird that can be found in Australia; the reason behind naming a sports equipment company after a bird is that the founder of the company had a pet bird of this species. Now isn't that sweet?

As for the bat itself, it is made from Kashmir willow, a second most popular material for cricket bats after English willow. Originating from India, this wood is somewhat heavier than the English willow, meaning you will have to rely on skill a bit more in Touch shots, for example, whereas English willow has more bounce and performing these shots is easier with an English willow bat. However, we do not believe this matters so much in this particular case—the Kookaburra Children's Fuse Prodigy is one of the Size 0 junior cricket bats which are intended for the youngest players who make their first steps in cricket. If your child can handle the slightly bigger weight we do consider this bat to be a top choice: Kasmir willow is also cheaper than English willow, thus making these bats a perfect choice as the first bat for a kid. If you are looking for cheap cricket bats for adults, Kookaburra offers this model in a short handle cricket bat option as well.

Woodworm is a very young company compared to some famous cricket monsters like Kookaburra Sport (found in 1890 in Australia) or Gray-Nicolls (found in 1855 in England). But we'd like to say this is no reason to disregard them right off the bat (pun intended).  The company employees are passionate about the sport and make rapid progress in their products. For example, they are one of the very few companies who make junior cricket bats from Engish willow, a material highly valued by professional adult players. This particular model is one of these bats.

English willow makes the best cricket bats thanks to it being the lightest and the most flexible—it offers a sweet spot with a good bounce. Hitting Touch shots with it is easier and more precise than with a bat made of any other material. Add here a six-piece design of a handle that adds to both sturdiness and control and the octopus grip that is also mainly aimed at enhancing control over the play and you will receive the best cricket bat for beginner players. The sizes offered for this model are from 0 to Harrow so no matter if you're looking for a bat for your elementary school kid or for a teenager who is suddenly interested in cricket, this model will be a great option.