Product Review: Gray-Nicolls Prestige SH Cricket Bat, Pro Model

The inner child in me won again! Much as I wanted to go the ‘full monty’ and go with the same brand and model for cricket bat, batting gloves and batting pads I had beaten the demon and convinced myself that £300 was simply stupid!

Then I found myself scrolling through eBay (how does that happen?!) and heh presto, a second hand, Pro Model no less, Prestige SH Cricket Bat popped up, used a couple of times in the nets, fully knocked in, two grips, no blemishes or cracks and even better – it had my name on it!!

‘Only’ £155 so a total bargain which made it such a obvious decision so now you have it: will now be batting in the full Prestige kit.

Gray-Nicolls Prestige SH Cricket Bat, Pro Model

My Review

What an amazing bat. While it doesn’t have the ‘crack’ that you associate with the modern pro smashing one over the boundary (let’s be honest here there is every chance that is down to me more than the bat), it does have an amazing ‘ping’ and not just from the middle.

To put the ‘ping’ into context I would say the Supernova provides a sold ‘crack’ off the middle.

Not fair to compare two different priced bats, but it is fair to see what ‘extra’ you get for your money.

This bat has a better balanced pick up, thicker edges and a slightly higher middle. The willow is noticeable ‘better’ in look and feel and personally I prefer the simplicity of the branding. That’s probably my age and personality, coupled with the fact that my ability means I think I will be very self conscious of the quality and the newness of all my equipment – but that is my issue.

The real question I think is if you can tell the difference between a Pro and Club quality product. With gloves and pads it is easier: they tend to offer more protection, look different visibility, but with a bat it is really the wood, and that can be hit and miss i.e. buying the most expensive bat on the market does not guarantee the blade will be exceptional, one reason Pros have so many bats ‘on the go’ at the same time.

But yes, I think you can feel the difference in quality and hear it!

Manufacturers Product Description

Trust is everything to a brand like Gray-Nicolls. If we lose the trust of cricketers around the world, the end is nigh. Fortunately for us, the confidence we have built over generations continues to grow as we produce the highest quality cricket bats in the world. One of those bats is the Prestige bat from the Classic collection.

The Prestige cricket bat has everything a Gray-Nicolls bat should have. Fantastic performance. Beautifully clean aesthetic. Excellent, English grown willow.

The design of the Prestige continues from our hugely successful relaunch of 2018, where we streamlined the stickers for cleaner, classier look. The Prestige cricket bat continues with the iconic red and silver checks, which perfectly compliment the pristinely clean willow.

The Prestige has a mid-blade profile which makes it the perfect partner to players equally adept at playing forwards or back. Offering a sustained sweet spot, the Prestige – a dream from high-level club players – has a beautifully balanced pick-up and gives fantastic value for shots.

Made with high-quality English Willow, grown and felled near our home in Robertsbridge, every Gray-Nicolls Prestige bat is quality controlled before it is shipped to you.

We are 100% confident you’ll be delighted with your new Prestige cricket bat, and we can’t wait to hear about the results you achieve with it.

• Classic Gray-Nicolls design with silver and white checked stickers and modern, streamlined central sticker
• Mid-blade swell for players of all styles, promising a sustained sweet spot across the blade
• Balanced pick-up and slightly off-set profile cater to all cricketers
• Consistent look and feel across the entire Classic collection
• Traditional Gray-Nicolls stickers
• Hand-crafted by our master bat makers
• Quality controlled in Robertsbridge
• Made with the finest quality English willow
• Weight Range: Junior 2lb – 2lb 6oz, Senior 2lb 7oz – 2lb 12oz
• Finish: Natural blade
• Semi-oval handle for comfort and complete control

Purchased via eBay from  kiwimorris79 £155 MRP £299.99

About The Review

Reviews will always identify whether the product has been bought for my own use, gifted for my own use, or sent for review. I will keep items I have bought or been gifted. Items sent for review once reviewed will be donated to Penkridge Cricket Club, MERIT PRU or the YMCA North Staffordshire as appropriate.

Reviews will always be my personal, unbiased, opinion based on my experience of the product and my own abilities. The reality is that most of the time I will not warrant the quality of product being reviewed, but what can I say, I like “stuff” especially “good quality stuff” so that is all there is to say on the matter!!

Reviews will include the list price and where applicable the price paid, a link to the source of the product and the manufacturer and where available manufacturer published product information. If a manufacturer or seller has asked me to publish a special discount or offer I will make this clear.

If you have a question or opinion please leave it in the comments below and I will reply.

We will write a Featured Review for a donation of £25 to our cat re-homing project (ALStrays), but this will be CLEARLY categorised as a Featured Post.