{"product_id":"dsc-blak-400-english-willow-cricket-bat","title":"DSC BLAK 400 English Willow Cricket Bat - Grade 1 Short Handle","description":"\u003ch2\u003eGrade 1 Willow. The Top of the Dark Force.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrade 1 English willow is the timber the clefts are selected for before anything else gets a look. Straight, tight, near-unblemished grain — the wood that plays in fastest, rebounds hardest and still has ping in it three seasons later. There is a reason professionals bat with it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe BLAK 400 is the top of DSC's BLAK ladder: a powerful profile with big edges and a genuinely generous middle, cut from Grade 1 willow. This is a bat for someone who has outgrown compromise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBulletproof Benefits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrade 1 English willow:\u003c\/strong\u003e The premium selection — straight, tight grain with minimal marking, delivering the fastest play-in and the hardest rebound available.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePowerful profile:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mass distributed for maximum energy transfer, so the ball leaves the face at pace off both front and back foot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBig edges:\u003c\/strong\u003e Substantial edge thickness turns thick edges and half-timed shots into runs rather than dismissals.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGenerous sweet spot:\u003c\/strong\u003e A wide middle that stays forgiving even at the top of the range — premium willow without the punishing narrow sweet spot of a pure players bat.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRound treble spring handle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sprung cane construction absorbs impact so a genuinely quick delivery doesn't jar through your hands.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHex grip fitted:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ready to knock in and play.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHolds its value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grade 1 blades stay lively far longer than lower grades, so the cost per season is closer than the sticker price suggests.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo only — and Grade 1 allocations from DSC are genuinely limited.\u003c\/strong\u003e These are the bats we get least of and sell fastest. If you want the top of the BLAK range this season, this is the window.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand:\u003c\/strong\u003e DSC\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRange:\u003c\/strong\u003e BLAK\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWillow:\u003c\/strong\u003e English willow, Grade 1\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e SH (Short Handle) — Mens\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx. 1160–1200 g (2.9 – 2.10 lb)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHandle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Round, treble spring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProfile:\u003c\/strong\u003e Powerful profile, big edges, pronounced bow\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hex grip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/strong\u003e Handcrafted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProtecting a Grade 1 Blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePremium willow deserves premium preparation. Knock in thoroughly — six to eight hours with a mallet across multiple sessions, working the edges and toe carefully before any hard-ball use. Consider a toe guard and edge tape from day one; both are cheap insurance on a bat at this level. Oil lightly two to three times a season and never leave it in a hot car. Done properly, a Grade 1 bat will still be performing when cheaper blades have gone dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePremier grade and representative players, top-order batters who face genuine pace every week, and serious club cricketers who want the best willow DSC's BLAK range offers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DSC","offers":[{"title":"2.8 - 2.9","offer_id":52612419420440,"sku":"DSC-BLAK400-EW-SH","price":799.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2.9 - 2.10","offer_id":52627042664728,"sku":null,"price":799.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/9028\/1496\/files\/blak-400-india-2.jpg?v=1788518432","url":"https:\/\/mcgsports.com.au\/products\/dsc-blak-400-english-willow-cricket-bat","provider":"MCG Sports","version":"1.0","type":"link"}