The secrets of how to make a cricket bat are revealed on this Bespoke Cricket Bat Experience – fabricated in front of you just for you! This amazing experience is truly a one off as you will visit the master craftsmen at the Millichamp & Hall workshop in the heart of the Somerset Country Cricket Ground in Taunton to see your own personalised cricket bat design being made and be involved in each step of the process.
The company started out in 1987 when founders Julian Millichamp and Jonathan Hall set up in a sport shop and workshop in Perth Australia. There using a range of vintage drawknives and spokeshaves they lovingly crafted clefts (blocks) of willow wood into the blades of their first made to order cricket bats. After returning to Somerset the winning partnership continued with a clear focus on quality materials and providing a personal service which allows you to custom design your own cricket bat to match your batting preferences.
Their commitment to excellence was soon recognised and rewarded when several of the cricketers from the Australian test squad purchased bats to use in the Ashes Tour of 1989 resulting in the Aussie underdogs skillfully defended their wicket taking match wins at Headingly Lords Edgbaston Old Trafford Trent Bridge and The Oval. For the England team it was a stump crushing disaster but the status of Millichamp and Hall as quality winning bat makers was sealed.
The design and and manufacture is an art form and ancient tradition which requires a number of key build stages. The blade of each cricket bat is made from a cleft of ‘Cricket Bat Willow’ (Salix Alba Caurelea) before being dried formed and rolled into shape with loads of up to two tonnes per square inch. Once the characteristics of the face and sides are determined the distinctive V shape or splice is then cut at the shoulder in readiness to accept the handle. The final shaping and balancing is where the real effort and skill comes in with every aspect of the final product being checked and finessed.
You will be able to chat with the master bat maker to discuss your needs and select your wood paying attention to the grading and the grain. Then you’ll learn how weight and length affect the profile and pitch of your cricket bat whilst it’s being made before the finish wax and polish adds the finishing touches to the blade – and all this to your own precise specifications.
Learning how to make a cricket bat is a must-do for all serious cricket fans. There can be nothing more special than having your very own high-quality Millichamp & Hall cricket bat made just for you. We can’t guarantee you’ll be hitting century innings with the finished item but we’re sure they’ll be nothing more satisfying than the sound of leather ball on the willow of your cricket bat that has been designed to your own requirements.
