jack bannister

Tools of the Trade
Stash, gear... whatever you
want to caLL it, cricketers
are always going to take a
keen interest in the tools
of the trade. This article
takes a look into the dying
art of bat making. This
type of cottage industry
is always going to rely
on people who love the
game and are reasonaBLy
knowledgeaBLe about it.
This article wiLL serve to
provide advice to those
who are interested in
getting into the bat making
world and hopefuLLy give
you a few pearls of wisdom
along the way.
The small
company
Reaper Cricket
Based in Berkshire, this company
is run out of a garden shed by two
brothers, Tom and Jeff Sheldon. Set
up in 2014, this year is Reaper’s
second full season. From the start,
Tom and Jeff were determined, “to be
a batmaker, not a brand”. A carpenter
by trade, Tom has been repairing and
making bats for almost five years
whilst Jeff as a brand consultant
handles the marketing side of the
business. They source their willow
from independent producers and have
recently planted their first 20 trees to
ensure a future supply.
When they first started out, they
needed to bring in part shaped clefts
in order to have enough to supply
those people who were willing to
support them on their new venture.
The best thing about this was that
they needed only a few tools to start
with as all they needed to do was
finish off the bats. As they grew and
had sourced suppliers to supply them
with their clefts, they realised they
needed to invest in a press - their
biggest financial outlay in the region
of £3,000.
The brothers have tried to grow the
company organically, starting with
local club cricketers, both adults and
juniors to the point now where they
are looking to sponsor a professional
player in order to test the water at
professional level.
It is clear that this kind of
industry is well suited to people
who like manual work. An interest
or background in carpentry or
joinery is clearly an advantage as it
helps with the knowledge of how
to tool wood, its characteristics
and a confidence with the tools and
techniques used to shape wood.
Along with this learned skill, the
next most important thing needed is
a desire to learn and not assume you
know everything just because you
are calling yourself a bat maker.
Research is really important.
Former Derbyshire cricketer, Paul
Aldred has a brilliant video on
YouTube (Behind the Bench with Paul
Aldred for Cricket Insight 2014),
talking about his own experiences of
being a traditional bat maker.
40 BtB issue 18 / thepca.co.uk