Pass the Bat On: Giving Cricket Bats A Second Chance

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An image of Pass the Bat on cricket bats with text explaining they are on sale from £60 and that all proceeds go to charity.

Imagine being told that you can’t play cricket because you can’t afford a good enough bat. Imagine losing your chance to ascend through the ranks of county cricket. Imagine losing your chance to fall in love with the game in the first place.

The moments that make cricket such a beautiful game are made possible by exceptionally talented players, but what if they had never been able to afford their first bat?

The affordability of cricket equipment is a huge barrier to young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is the mission of Pass the Bat On to enable players to purchase a refurbished high-quality bat at a low cost, giving old bats a second life and ultimately giving more people a chance to play.

Why are bats so expensive

Most professional cricket bats are made from English willow. The quality of the raw materials allows English willow bats to deliver higher power and performance, whilst also being more durable.

English willow has always been a more expensive, premium-grade material, however, the price of English willow has more than doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic making the idea of affordable cricket bats practically impossible.

Another significant factor in the price is shipping – though they are made from English willow, most bats are actually manufactured in South Asia, before being shipped back to the UK. This doesn’t only affect the price – the carbon footprint of cricket bats is massive.

Add to this ever-increasing costs of importing, utilities, and wages, and the price of a cricket bat will continue to soar.

All this means that cricket bats can set players back up to £800 – a cost which can be prohibitive to players who are ready to buy their first high-quality bat, but can’t afford to shell out almost a grand.

Pass The Bat On Is A Charity Initiative That Seeks To Make Affordable Cricket Bats Through Refurbishment

Costly cricket bats are stopping players from playing the game that they love. We want to fix that.

The aim of the Pass the Bat On scheme is to collect 500 used cricket bats, refurbish them, and sell them at an affordable cost.

We’re working with The Club Cricket Charity, one of several charitable programmes supported by the Gandon Prodger Legacy Fund (GPLF).

Set up in 2023 as The Simon Prodger Legacy Fund after the death of the Charity’s long-time advocate and friend, Simon Prodger, the fund was renamed the Gandon Prodger Legacy Fund following the death of Nick Gandon earlier this year.

Both men were heroes of the game, dedicating themselves to their shared belief that cricket should always remain a sport for everyone, regardless of their background.

The GPLF fund honours their memory by supporting charitable initiatives that align with everything they believed that cricket should stand for.

Funds raised by Pass the Bat On will be used to support the following charities:

  • East Africa Character Development Trust – based in Nairobi, Kenya, this initiative uses the values of cricket (strategy, patience, self-control) to deliver character-building education to disadvantaged young people in East Africa.
  • The Alsama Project – empowers young people through cricket programmes in refugee camps in the Middle East.
  • The Saracens Foundation – works with care-home residents, disabled young people, prisoners, refugees and more across the UK to enrich lives through sport.
  • The Club Cricket Charity – focuses on providing equal opportunities and solving the issues affecting cricket in the UK at an amateur and recreational level.

How does it make cricket bats affordable?

Gentlemen & Players have been tasked with refurbishing and rebranding the initial 500 used cricket bats.

Once refurbished, the bats will be sorted into one of four tiers:

  • Grade 3: £60
  • Grade 2: £90
  • Grade 1: £180
  • Professional: £270

You will be able to purchase a bat for yourself, or you can make a donation, enabling the Club Cricket Charity to gift the bat to a talented cricketer for whom affordability is a barrier to playing the game they love.

Get involved

We need bats.

Whether it’s been gathering dust in a garage for years or it’s simply a spare professional cricket bat, we’re accepting donations of cricket bats for the pilot scheme of Pass the Bat On.

To donate your bat, send it to Unit 15, Riverside Business Centre, Victoria Street, High Wycombe, HP11 2LT, or deliver it to us in person.

To buy a refurbished bat for yourself, visit https://www.gentlemenplayers.com/passthebaton/

To donate to the Gandon Prodger Legacy Fund, visit https://www.theclubcricketcharity.org/gplf-about/