SS Classic Player English Willow Cricket Bat - Concave TON Edges SH

38 to 40mm of Edge. That's Where Your Runs Come From.

Club cricket isn't decided by the shots you middle. It's decided by the ones you don't — the drive that comes off two inches low, the pull that catches the bottom of the blade. On a thin bat those are catching practice. On a bat with 38 to 40mm edges and a 65 to 67mm spine, a lot of them still reach the rope.

The SS Classic Player is built around exactly that. Selected English willow, air-dried and pressed into SS's concave TON profile, with a wide clean face and the mass sitting where a club batter actually makes contact. It's a genuine step up from entry-level willow without moving into player-grade pricing.

Bulletproof Benefits

• 38–40 mm concave TON edges: Serious edge thickness where the ball meets the blade — the single biggest factor in turning half-timed shots into boundaries.
• 65–67 mm spine: A deep spine puts real mass behind the middle, so the ball leaves the face with pace rather than dying in the blade.
• Selected English willow: True English willow rebound — the ball springs off the face instead of absorbing into it the way it does on pressed Kashmir.
• Air-dried and naturally seasoned: Slow natural drying rather than forced kilning builds durability into the cleft and keeps the blade lively instead of brittle.
• Wide playing area with a clean face: A broad, uncluttered striking surface that gives you more usable bat on every shot.
• Premium embossed chrome stickers: A sharp, understated finish that looks considerably dearer than it is.
• Premium SS bat cover included: Proper protection supplied in the box, not sold separately.
• Two weights in stock: One at 2.8 – 2.9 and one at 2.9 – 2.10, so you can pick the pick-up that suits you.

One of each weight. That's it. We have a single 2.8 – 2.9 and a single 2.9 – 2.10 at Cranbourne. Once your weight bracket goes, we're back on SS's shipping schedule — not ours.

Specifications

• Brand: SS (Sareen Sports)
• Model: Classic Player
• Willow: Selected English willow, air-dried
• Size: SH (Short Handle) — full size
• Weights available: 2.8 – 2.9 and 2.9 – 2.10 lb (approx. 1130–1180 g)
• Edge thickness: 38–40 mm
• Spine thickness: 65–67 mm
• Profile: Concave TON edges, wide playing area, clean face
• Finish: Premium embossed chrome stickers
• Included: Premium SS bat cover
• Made in: India

What Edge and Spine Numbers Actually Tell You

Edge thickness is how deep the side of the blade is; spine thickness is how deep the ridge down the back is. Together they tell you how much wood sits behind the ball. Anything from about 38 mm of edge upward is a genuinely big-edged bat by club standards, and a 65 mm-plus spine means the mass is concentrated rather than spread thin. The trade-off is always pick-up — more wood means more to swing — which is why a well-shaped bat like this matters more than raw numbers alone.

Choosing Between 2.8 – 2.9 and 2.9 – 2.10

The lighter bat suits players who bat long, rotate strike and rely on timing and late adjustment — it comes through the line faster and stays comfortable deep into an innings. The heavier one suits players who look to hit through the line and want maximum mass behind the ball. Neither is objectively better. Hold the bat one-handed at the top of the handle and extend your arm: if your wrist gives out quickly, go lighter. Pick-up beats the number on the sticker every time.

Knocking In and Care

English willow must be knocked in before facing a hard ball. Work a mallet over the face and edges for several hours across multiple sessions, building from gentle taps and rounding the edges as you go, then face throw-downs with an old ball before match day. Oil lightly two to three times a season with raw linseed on the face, edges and back only — never the splice or the stickers. Store the bat flat, dry and out of hot car boots. Skipping the knock-in is the most common cause of a first-season crack, and it isn't covered by warranty.

Who It's For

Club and grade batters who want big edges without premium-grade pricing, players moving up from entry-level English willow, and anyone who scores most of their runs on the drive and the pull.