Kookaburra cricket bats, as the name might suggest, originated out of Australia (for those who don't know a kookaburra is a bird native to the land down under).  The bats are distinctive with the kookaburra bird logo proudly displayed on each bat making them look cool, classy and ready for action.

There are a range of bats available and the variety of choice is designed for all age ranges, abilities and budgets.  The range is described in further detail below.  If you have never picked up a kookaburra bat before it is a good idea to visit a local supplier to get a feel for them.  Even better would be to use on for real.  If you have a friend who has one or if there is a local cricket club you could visit try asking for a trial with one or more to give you an impression of their quality.

Today and in the past, Kookaburra bats are used by numerous famous international cricketers.  Manufacturers look to cricket stars to endorse their products (not just bats but also gloves, pads and helmets for example) and Kookaburra are no exception with cricket players of the highest international quality endorsing and using the bats in the field of action.  Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey of Australia, Owais Shah of England and AB De Villiers of South Africa all use and have endorsed Kookaburra cricket bats to name just a few players.  In Decmeber 2011 it was announced that Ian Bell of England would also be using the new Kookaburra Recoil bat.

 

HISTORY

The history of Kookaburra sports gear and equipment dates back over 120 years to 1890 when Alfred Grace Thompson established his new business.  Once a maker of horse saddles and harnesses he saw that demand diminished as the use of horses became increasingly replaced by the motorization.  With his skills he turned to the manufacture of sporting products, starting with cricket balls (the kookaburra cricket ball is still used for first class games in Australia today) and eventually to cricket bats in the 1980’s.  Kookaburra cricket equipment includes the full range of gear including bats, gloves, pads, protectors and footwear.

RANGE

Over the years there have been a variety of bat ranges introduced by Kookaburra. These include Kahuna, Beast, Blade, Rogue, CCX, Genesis, Sword and Ice.  Each bat comes with specific design features tailored for the users preferred requirements and enhancement of attributes such as power, balance, speed and control.

The Kahuna Kookaburra bat range is designed for power.  It has a relatively big middle profile, thicker edges and a power drive handle.  With the increased dimensions the bat offers a bigger ‘sweet spot’ and in the right hands is an effective hitting zone for much more powerful shots and strokes.  The Kahuna 1000 is used by Ricky Ponting (Australia), A.B. De Villiers (South Africa), Martin Guptill (New Zealand) and Luke Wright (England).  Further details about the Kahuna bat range are presented below:

Beast

The design of the Kukaburra Beast Cricket Bat range was undertaken with consideration of both the power and creative flamboyance necessary in todays cricket world.

Further details about the Beast range bat are presented below:

Blade

The Kookaburra Blade cricket bat range was designed and crafted with the objective of giving the batsman the advantage of speed.  The design is a relatively lightweight bat allowing the capable batsmen to execute shot making quickly and enabling maximum results from quick reaction time at the crease.



BAT SIZES

Another important consideration when it comes to bat selection is bat size.  A bat too big or too small can hinder shot making and reduce run scoring potential.  There is a guide available to indicate the correct bat size for your height as shown below.



Kookaburra bats are manufactured in a range of sizes so be sure to check these out when selecting your bat to ensure you are choosing the correct size.

THE 'ANATOMY' OF A CRICKET BAT

To many a player of the game a cricket bat is more than just a bit of wood for hitting a ball with as far as possible, and quite rightly so.  First of all the wood selected for making a cricket bat is specially grown and selected from willow trees.  These trees are the age old traditional materials for making a bat with and are quite simply the best type of wood for a bat.
 
Secondly each bat has its own look and feel.  A player will often select a bat by picking it up and judging its feel in the hand considering how much it weighs and how it balances during each shot.
 
Thirdly there is cricket bat terminology with certain names being given to the parts of a cricket bat.  Starting at the top of the bat and working down, there is the handle and grip which is obviously where a batsman holds the bat.  The handle is connected to the main body of the bat by a splice which is inserted and fixed into a groove at the top of the main body.  The main part of the bat where the batter attempts to hit the ball is called the face of the bat or the blade.  The bat has a front flat face and a back raised face the latter of which is not intentionally used for ball impact as this is not flat but has a raised area down the centre to add weight.  A bat also has shoulders, edges and a toe.  The toe is at the base of the bat face, the edge run down both sides of the bat face and the shoulder of the bat are at the top of the face.
 
Finally there is the sweet spot of the bat.  This is where a batsman can achieve optimum shot value if he (or she) can connect with the ball there.