A perfect cricket bat is hard to find. Many professional cricketers use the bats that suit their style of play. There are many top companies making cricket bats, but one that stands out is Gray Nicolls. The natural clean blade finish on the English willow, the power curve, and the tremendous spin of these bats make them ideal to instinctive stroke play, and their elegance makes them very attractive. We are starting to see many Australian cricketers who once preferred the local Kookaburra bats for their stroke play now turning to use Gray Nicolls bats for their batting. Here are the top 10 of the Australian cricketers who used Gray Nicolls bats:
1. Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell was an Australian great who started using Gray Nicolls in his second season in county cricket when presented with a bat by Len Newbury, a batmaker with Gray Nicolls. He began using the ‘Scoop’, which was released in 1974, very often, and his brother Ian also used it. ‘Scoop’ had more weight distributed to the perimeter, enhancing the bat’s sweet spot. Soon, Chappell began scoring a sheer weight of runs in the late 1970s. He admitted that it felt good and picked up nicely.
2. Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden is one of Australia’s legendary batters. An opener of batting, Hayden was famous for his bold and confident stroke play in the early parts of an innings that would unsettle the bowlers. His relationship with the Gray Nicolls company was solid, and he constantly urged them to keep upgrading their bats to be at level with the competition. In late 2003, Hayden scored a brilliant 380 in the 1st Test against Zimbabwe at Perth with his Gray Nicolls cricket bat ‘Gladius’.
3. David Warner
David Warner is one of the most feared batters, especially in the white-ball circuit. His aggressive stroke play from the beginning makes him dangerous. Warner blasted 89 from 43 balls on his international debut in the 1st T20 against South Africa at the MCG. He uses a Gray Nicolls ‘Kaboom’ bat, made by the company in his honor, which weighs around 1.24 kg, and with fast hands like his, the shots travel to the boundary very quickly. Warner has been using the Gray Nicolls bats for a long time.
4. Aaron Finch
Being Warner’s partner in crime, Aaron Finch has also found great success opening the batting, involved in many huge opening partnerships with Warner in the white-ball formats. Finch is an elegant stroke player against the new ball and has the muscle to send the ball long distances. Hence, the Gray Nicolls Maax bat is an ideal fit for Finch. He plays in the BBL for Melbourne Renegades and has many runs in the tournament’s history.
5. Shaun Marsh
Shaun Marsh is a left-handed opener from Western Australia. Known for his strong temperament, Marsh found success in patches in all formats. He was the highest run-scorer in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 while playing for KXIP and has also been among the top run-getters in the history of the Big Bash League. He has also played 38 Test matches in his international career, being in and out of the side on numerous occasions. Gray Nicolls introduced a “Shaun Marsh” players’ edition of cricket bats that matched Marsh’s shape and physical profile.
6. Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis is another giant of the Australian white-ball team. Being an experienced all-rounder, Stoinis plays down the batting order and bowls some decent medium pace. He uses the Gray Nicolls Cobra Blue 5 Star, which has an Aussie-favoured power curve face and large edges. Stoinis is known for his power-hitting, and he hits many sixes when he bats well.
7. Chris Lynn
Chris Lynn is another BBL giant who is known for fearsome power-hitting. His strong arms and quick bat swing enable him to hit very long sixes. Lynn uses Gray Nicolls Maax, which is also suited to his batting style in T20 cricket. Lynn has been known to destroy many bowling attacks in the T20 franchise circuit and is a hot commodity to many teams.
8. Travis Head
Travis Head is the latest Aussie sensation with the bat, being in superb form for the last couple of years. Head has an aggressive game with the intent to score on any opportunity by the bowler and put the pressure back on the opponent. He scored a hundred against India in the recent WTC 2023 Final, compiling 163 runs off 174 balls. Head uses a Gray Nicolls Delta bat. His bat is well-suited for him to play all his shots, such as cuts, slashes, flicks, hooks, pulls, and also drive the ball with glamorous ease.
9. Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh is the younger brother of veteran Aussie batter Shaun Marsh and is a batting all-rounder, unlike his brother. Marsh bowls handy medium pace and bats like a monster, combining his brute power with sheer timing and speed to send shivers down the opposition bowlers. Marsh has scored runs in all formats of the game for Australia; from his hitting in T20Is to grit and patience in Tests, he has adapted well everywhere. Marsh uses a Gray Nicolls Ultra bat, with an enormous sweet spot and large size, tailor-made to Marsh’s gameplay, who can both time and muscle the ball effortlessly. He is also a good player of spin, and his bat spin is crucial to this style.
10. Cameron Green
Cameron Green is one of the most talked about prodigies in world cricket. Having started as a fast bowler at 17, he also trained his batting along the way and is now a complete all-rounder for Australia. He can time the ball well and place it in gaps, along with good foot movement and hand-eye coordination. Green uses the Gray Nicolls Legend bat, designed by the finest Grade 1 English willow. It is very well-suited to his array of strokes in all parts of the ground.
