Gunn & Moore 2023 Cricket Bat Range HONEST Review
Love Gunn and Moore Cricket Bats but not sure what may suit your game? In this video, Richard & Neil take a look at the GM 2023 Cricket Bat Range, providing a detailed, in-depth and honest review.
Cricket Bats
Gunn & Moore 2023 Cricket Bat Range Review
As a cricket nut, it is always exciting to be talking about cricket bats.
Recently, both Neil Rider (the owner of Serious Cricket) and I had the pleasure of taking an in-depth look at the 2023 Gunn and Moore cricket bat range.
After a brief visit to the nets with all the GM bats, we are now able to give you our thoughts and the low down on the Gunn & Moore bat range.
Firstly, you might like to know that GM has introduced three new cricket bats to the range and four are returning from last year’s range.
Below, we take an in-depth look at each of the bats for the 2023 season.
GUNN & MOORE HYPA CRICKET BAT - NEW FOR 2023
The Hypa has a funky colourway and from a distance, it looks a bit more 3D in just a style. It comes fitted with a soft-feel black Hypa grip with four distinct colour rings to match the distinctive bat labels.
It is a similar shape to the Noir of previous years and if you liked that shape you are going to enjoy the Hypa.
Hampshire & England stars James Vince, Dan Lawrence & Aiden Markram will be using the Hypa for the 2023 season.
Technical Specs
The GM Hypa comes in a rounded face, with a traditional 555mm full-blade profile. It’s balanced for power play, and it has a mid-to-low swell position to help that.
Most importantly it is available in a range of grades and sizes for all ages and abilities, plus it has a new grip with the original name... Hypa.
Performance Review - In The Nets
The bat felt slightly bottom-heavy in my hands, and the handle felt a bit odd also. Maybe it was a bit thicker however, it could just be me. The new Hypa grip felt fine and not too dissimilar to the standard grips you get on other bats.
This bat has lots of forgiveness across the bat face, particularly with the off-centre hits, and we both liked it for the forgiving nature of the hit, both on the back foot and the front foot.
Being a bat with a longer blade length it does have a different feel to it. Perhaps it isn’t the most well-balanced cricket bat that GM offers as most of the weight seems to be at the lower end of the bat.
What type of player will it suit?
Players who drive the ball, who punch it off the back foot. I think you can be aggressive with this shape as it gives you some forgiveness across the hitting zone. It covers a lot of options for all different types of batters.
GUNN & MOORE KRYOS CRICKET BAT - NEW FOR 2023
Firstly, I couldn't get past calling this bat the 'Kyrgios' after the Australian tennis player, Nick Kyrgios - hopefully, I haven't done the same for you... sorry.
Visually, the Silver and White graphics work really well together and make for a slick-looking bat. Let's hope it plays as well as it looks.
Ben Duckett is using the Kryos for the 2023 season and I'm sure we'll see plenty of him on TV with the England squad.
Technical Specs
The Kryos L540 DXM is a bat with a full and rounded bat face and a mid-swell position. The sweeping toe gives the bat a balanced feel. The 540 in L540 signifies the length of the blade (in millimetres), meaning that the Kryos has a shorter blade than the traditional 555 length and a longer handle.
The Gunn and Moore Kryos comes in seven grades of Prime English Willow so there is something to suit every budget.
Interesting fact - five out of the seven bats now in the range are in the 540mm shorter blade and this is one of them.
Performance Review - In The Nets
The GM Kryos cricket bat uses the HEX grip which is a grippy one and will take some getting used to. I use one on my bat but Neil isn’t a fan. However, don't judge a bat by the grip as that can be easily changed.
From a pickup point of view, it felt well-balanced and because the Kryos has a shorter blade length and longer handle, we felt that it gives you a bit more bat speed through the ball, because it picked up slightly lighter.
It has a good middle zone of the bat with poorer performance slightly lower down the blade. We both felt you needed to hit the ball more in the centre line with this bat, however, it felt more balanced than the Hypa - there are always pros and cons.
What type of player will it suit?
The balance of the bat feels a little bit higher up. I do like it and I think it's a nice bat because of the forgiving nature of the bat profile. If you prefer a lighter-weight bat this shape will be ideal for you and also for those younger players transitioning into the adult game.
Stroke players – yes!
Hard wicket batters will do well with this because the ball bounces more on those wickets and this bat has a higher middle.
GUNN & MOORE BRAVA CRICKET BAT - NEW FOR 2023
Dressed in Navy and Gold the Gunn and Moore Brava cricket bat is slightly different to everything else in the range and at first glance, the shape of the bat is very similar to a BAS / SS Ton or an MRF due to F2 face profile which we'll touch on later. If you're a fan of those types of bats, then the GM Brava could be for you.
Returning to the Gunn & Moore family for 2023 is England Superstar Stuart Broad and he'll be proudly taking to the crease with the GM Brava.
Technical Specs
The Brava has an F2 face profile, which is different to all the other bats in the range. The F2 means that the face of the bat is flat, rather than traditionally rounded. By having a flatter face, this keeps as much wood on the edges as possible and is designed to generate more power upon impact.
Otherwise, it is a full-length bat (L555) with a low swell position that comes in a short handle only.
Performance Review - In The Nets
From a pick-up perspective, it feels chunky and it feels like it has more wood down at the bottom end of the bat. Not surprising given the initial thoughts on the shape - it's a beast!
In the nets... whoa this has a fantastic middle, it's not low or high specifically, it just feels like a long middle.
The shape of the toe is interesting, when I put it down on the surface, you'll try to lay it flat but it tilted forwards (quite hard to explain so may be worth watching our video above). When we took our stances and tried it in the crease, it felt okay to me but not to Neil. Chase Cricket did the same thing on a bat last year.
This bat does give you the feeling that you can throw your hands through everything.
What type of player will it suit?
This is a good addition to the range. A traditional blade length of 555mm, which keeps things old-fashioned for us more mature players.
This bat will work for front-foot players and back-foot players. There is more weight down the bottom end of the bat, and we would advise you to pick one up first before buying it as it has a different feel.
Power hitters and players who are prepared to throw their hands at it will enjoy this. Pullers and cutters will need to find one with the right balance and weight to suit your game.
So that's the new bats Gunn & Moore have introduced into their 2023 range and below, we'll take a look at the four bats that have stayed in the range from 2022...
GUNN & MOORE DIAMOND BS55 CRICKET BAT - THE BEN STOKES BAT
The Ben Stokes Diamond range stickers have been given a refresh for 2023, but the colourways remain the same with the teal Blue to Navy gradient.
The GM Diamond range has been made in conjunction with England’s Test Captain Ben Stokes – you cannot go wrong if you chose the Diamond!
Technical Specs
This bat has a lovely shape! The L540 shorter blade length with mid-swell will suit all batters. The contoured spine gives it its balance and the HEX grip is very grippy!
With availability in eight different grades, there’s a Diamond waiting for you, whatever your budget.
Performance Review - In The Nets
This feels great in the hand and picks up well, really well - there's not much more I can add to that.
You can play all the shots with this bat and the shorter blade length allows you to get your hands through the ball. This bat could come in a heavier weight, or lighter weight and the shape is flexible enough to accommodate those changes, which is a real plus for customers.
What type of player will it suit?
An all-around well-balanced bat. I guess that is why it is the flag-ship bat of the Gunn and Moore range, as they think it will suit everyone, and we do too.
With Ben Stokes being the flag bearer for this bat it cannot go wrong, because at the moment Ben can do no wrong.
GUNN & MOORE PRIMA CRICKET BAT
This Gunn & Moore Prima cricket bat sold really well last year, and it is easy to see why. It’s light and well balanced and lots of players like a light bat option, especially if you don't compromise performance. It is no surprise to see it return for 2023 given its popularity last year.
Visually, the GM outline shift on the stickers to Yellow is subtle and not too offensive.
Technical Specs
Advertised as having the lowest swell position in the GM range and comes with a pro-lite grip.
Again this is a smaller 540mm bat length and is available in five sizes and seven grades of willow.
Performance Review - In The Nets
The pro-lite grip does feel light. Neil liked this but the jury is still out for me.
We both found it easy to use but light, and we needed to hit the ball in the middle of the bat more often to get the greatest benefit.
It is a well-balanced bat, and it is easy to manoeuvre the bat when you are at the crease. I found playing off the back foot nice and easy and was able to get through the ball at speed. A lovely light bat option!
What type of player will it suit?
Young cricketers, batters that want a light bat option, stroke players. We liked it and we think a lot of batters will as well.
GUNN & MOORE SPARQ CRICKET BAT
There is no doubt about it, The Gunn and Moore Sparq is a fantastic-looking bat and the Blue and Orange really make it pop.
Technical Specs
This GM Sparq has more wood across the bat face compared to the Prima. It comes in a 540mm bat length, with a mid to high swell, it’s a curved bat face profile and comes with a pro-lite grip.
Performance Review - In The Nets
We both felt the Gunn & Moore Sparq cricket bat had more wood in the bat than the Prima, and it picked up a little heavier because of that. Both Neil and I were pleasantly surprised by how well this bat performed.
Similar in shape to the Prima but it has more wood across the blade of the bat, and it went well when you hit with it, particularly in the off-centre hits.
What type of player will it suit?
Different types of batters will enjoy the GM Sparq cricket bat. The longer handle and shorter blade take a bit of getting used to, but after a few hits, you are on your way.
If you want a heavier bat, you might look at another bat profile otherwise this is going to suit a lot of people.
GUNN & MOORE RADON CRICKET BAT
GM produce a large number of bats every year and their bats go through a vetting process. Based on the grade of wood used, the straightness of the grain and how the bat's face looks.
If a piece of wood doesn’t match the top-notch criteria it flows down the bat range and ends up with the Radon stickers. Which means you could get a great piece of wood for a cheaper price.
These bats are covered and are usually pre-made into one of the other bat profiles, therefore, the Radon doesn’t have its unique shape.
Technical Specs
A grade 4 English willow bat, with a polycarbonate cover, a toe guard and a HEX grip.
Performance Review - In The Nets
It took us a while to locate the centre of the bat, and it felt like a hardwood bat that will take a lot of knocking in. The middle was good, you just had to find it!
What type of player will it suit?
This one is all about budget and it is a great low-cost option for players.
SUMMARY
The obvious things we should mention when choosing a cricket bat are:
If you can go in-store to pick up the bat the better. Ordering online works well but it doesn’t beat the option of picking one up in-store to make a comparison with other bats, such as shapes, weights and pick-ups etc …
Please don’t pick a bat based on how the grip feels. You can always change the grip.
PS… A small but not unimportant disclaimer is that we didn’t know the dead weight of these bats when we picked them up.
