Gray Nicolls is an iconic cricket brand that is present on the market for more than 150 years. The brand is built on long years of heritage, tradition and a desire to stay open to new ideas and innovations. The brand was founded by Grays a manufacturer of cricket bats and rackets in 1855 in Cambridge. All of the products were supplied to King George VI and Ranjitsinjh. The name Gray-Nicolls has been on since 1942 when two popular brands of that time HJ Gray and Sons of LJ Nicolls joined together. In this new partnership, the brand continued to grow and thrive and shortly after this, they joined forces, Gray-Nicolls became the host of some iconic cricketers like Keight Miller, Wally Hammond, Ted Dexter, Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud. Nowadays, this brand is the leading one in the industry and for a reason.
Bats Characteristics
Being a leader in the industry means that Gray Nicolls bat models are being used by some of the greatest players like Sir Alastair Cook and Brian Lara, Kane Williamson and Babar Azam. One of the greatest differences between this and some other bats is that a Gray Nicolls bat encapsulates performance, quality and reputation which is all due to its ability to grow their own willow trees. This gives them complete control over their production. All of its bats are handcrafted in Australia, England and India and all of them are designed to meet strict standards but without compromising the different trends in different regions.
The thing that makes these bats one-of-a-kind is their large hitting area, the power curve that is basically a semi-rounded face for increased profile, the semi-oval handle and the semi-square toe. All in all, these bats can improve your game and performance which is something that you cannot obtain with another type of bat.
Some Popular Types of Bats
Legend English Willow
This bat can provide you with everything you need in a bat – improved performance, quality and reputation. It is handcrafted and made in Australia from the finest grade 1 English willow tree and it has a mid-profile which is perfect for back foot play. Its face has a power curve which is designed to enhance stroke play. It's lightweight, has larger edges, a soft feel and it has a natural wooden finish.
Shockwave 2.0 Cricket Bat
This model is a signature of the Shockwave range and it is distinguished with its classic black handle and a sticker design on its back. This model of bat is known for its large hitting zone, mid-sweet spot, lightweight pickup, semi-square toe, semi-oval handle and of course the new Super Link Pro grip. This is a well-balanced and solid bat perfect for those who enjoy playing with a bat of similar features.
Shockwave 2.3 Cricket Bat
This is the newest contribution to the brand's bat family that was used by the new Pakistan test captain – Shan Masood and the great wicketkeeper Mohammed Rizwan in Australia. It features a full-length bow, a power curve (semi-rounded face), and a mid-blade balance point perfect for a lighter pick-up and off-set edge. It also has a large hitting area and a mid-blade sweet spot. The Shockwave 2.3 also features a semi-square toe, a semi-oval handle and a superlink pro grip which provides a high-performance maximum grip.
Tempesta 1.0
This is the main type of bat of the family which was inspired by Babar Azam but it was also used by Jamie Smith and Zak Crawley. It's known for its yellow handle and sticker design with metallic blues and silvers. The Tempesta 1.0 has a full profile featuring big edges, mid to low swell middle and great weight distribution. It also has larger edges, a square toe, a semi-oval handle, and a superlink pro grip.
Tempesta 1.1
This is a newer generation of the old Tempesta and it characterises with its low bow and larger hitting area with mid to low sweet spot. It also features a power curve for optimum ping, a lower balance point to generate power and bat speed and larger edges to match the spine. It also has a square toe and semi-oval handle.
Gem 1.1
This bat is perfect to suit females and younger players as it's lighter in weight but it doesn't compromise the power. These bats are quite successful among these players and are mainly used in England by popular players. They have an even mid bow, a large middle profile, an ultra-lightweight pickup line, a square toe, a super short handle and a traction grip for maximum grip.
The choice of bats coming from this brand is huge, and you can find the one for you only by comparing different models. This will help you compare their features and prices which will help you find the one you need the most.