Gray-Nicolls Blue MAAX 5 Star Cricket Bat : Review
In the seminal 1984 mock-rockumentary 'This Is Spinal Tap', there's a memorable discussion around an amp that’s volume dial goes up to 11 because, as the character Nigel Tufnel points out, 11 “is one louder" than 10. The first time I went to the nets with the Gray-Nicolls Blue Maax 5 Star, this scene played in my head on a loop. Why, I asked myself, is there an extra 'a' in Max? After using the bat for a number of months now I can only conclude it's because this cricket bat is one 'a' more powerful than regular cricket bats.
This stick loves sending the ball to the ropes, and has been shaped in such a way that it manages to escalate the power of your hits without weighing you down too much at the crease. The featherlight pick up will come as something of a surprise the first time you wield it and has, over the course of a season, elicited comments from teammates along the lines of 'Cor! I was expecting it to feel much heavier than this.'
The ease with which you can move the Blue Maax 5 Star around when you’re at the striker’s end, of course, would mean nothing if the ball didn’t fly off it. Thankfully, the Powercurve face makes you believe, even when the run rate is climbing and the pressure’s on, that the next boundary is always just around the corner. Start finding that mid-blade sweet spot while using this bat, and it’ll take something pretty special from the fielding side to stop the scoreboard from ticking over quickly.
The sheer bulkiness and well-crafted nature of the Blue Maax 5 Star, in fact, means that less technically accomplished batters will enjoy just how well the ball comes off the mishits and thick outside edges as well. This reviewer can attest to the latter mentioned qualities of the bat.
Swing hard, and make your own luck. Such is the potential power on offer with this bat, in fact, that one thing you do have to keep in check when using it is your shot selection. You’ll start believing that every single ball is destined to go over the cow corner fence, and end up getting yourself out heaving at one that isn’t there to be hit. With great power comes great responsibility, and all that.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam has been using the Gray-Nicolls Blue Maax 5 Star in 2021 and, well, he’s one of the world’s best cricket players and *extremely Ron Burgundy voice* kind of a big deal. Picking up this bat, with its RRP a fraction under £300, won’t transform you into the men in green’s greatest batting talent overnight, but it will be a step in the right direction for sure.
Finally, for those who care about such things, the bat really is absolutely stunning to look at. The finest English willow, the striking colour and styling of the stickers, and the debossed Gray-Nicolls down the side; it’s a properly beautiful bat to behold. Yes, the name ‘Blue Maax’ might bring to mind those budget-viagra vending machines you find in pub toilets but, that aside, we can’t really find anything to fault here. Consider it a highly recommended product.
Weight: 2lb7oz – 2lb12oz
Short Handle only