{"product_id":"ss-legend-kieron-pollard-english-willow-cricket-bat","title":"SS Legend Kieron Pollard English Willow Cricket Bat - Grade 1 SH","description":"\u003ch2\u003eBuilt for the Player Who Bats to Clear the Rope.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome batters accumulate. Others are picked to change a game in four overs. If you're the second kind, most bats let you down in a specific way — they have the wood, but not where you swing, and the pick-up fights you when you try to generate real bat speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe SS Legend Kieron Pollard is the power-hitting entry in SS's Legend Series, named for one of the most destructive limited-overs hitters the game has produced. Hand-selected Grade 1 English willow, air-dried and pressed to a profile built around a big sweet spot and honest balance — so you can go through the line without the bat feeling like a sledgehammer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBulletproof Benefits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-selected Grade 1 English willow:\u003c\/strong\u003e The top grade — straight, tight, clean grain that plays in fastest, rebounds hardest and still has ping in it several seasons on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAir-dried and naturally seasoned:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow, natural drying rather than forced kilning, which builds durability into the cleft and keeps the blade lively rather than brittle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge sweet spot:\u003c\/strong\u003e A wide hitting zone so the shots you don't middle perfectly still carry — the difference between caught at long-on and six over it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBalanced special profile:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shaped for pick-up as well as power, so you can generate bat speed through the swing rather than muscling the bat into position.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSemi-oval handle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Gives the bottom hand a defined edge to locate against — favoured by players who hit hard and want to know exactly where the face is pointing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStraight-grain structure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Clean, consistent grain running the length of the blade for predictable response across the face.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePremium bat cover included:\u003c\/strong\u003e A proper protective cover in the box, not an optional extra.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne only. Grade 1, 2.9 – 2.10, semi-oval — this exact bat, and no second chance.\u003c\/strong\u003e Legend Series allocations into Australia are tiny and every blade is individually selected, so when this one goes we cannot order the same bat again.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand:\u003c\/strong\u003e SS (Sareen Sports)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRange:\u003c\/strong\u003e Legend Series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWillow:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-selected Grade 1 English willow, air-dried\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e SH (Short Handle) — full size\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.9 – 2.10 lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHandle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Semi-oval\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eToe:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rounded \/ flat toe profile\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded:\u003c\/strong\u003e Premium protective bat cover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer code:\u003c\/strong\u003e EW1280\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Grade 1 Costs What It Does\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnglish willow is graded on the appearance of the cleft — grain count, straightness and how little natural marking runs through the blade. Grade 1 is the cleanest timber a maker has, and only a small share of any harvest qualifies. It plays in faster, rebounds harder and holds its performance far longer than lower grades. You are paying for the wood itself, and on a bat you intend to keep for several seasons, it is the part that matters most.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSemi-Oval or Round Handle?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA round handle lets your hands rotate freely and suits wristy players who work the ball square and rely on late adjustment. A semi-oval handle is flattened on one side, giving the bottom hand a definite reference point so the face stays where you set it — preferred by players who hit straight and hard and want the bat to arrive square through the line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKnocking In a Grade 1 Blade\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePremium willow deserves proper preparation. Work a mallet across the face and edges for six to eight hours over several sessions, building gradually and rounding the edges as you go, then face throw-downs with an old ball before match use. A toe guard and edge tape are cheap insurance at this price. Oil lightly two to three times a season on face, edges and back only — never the splice or stickers — and store flat, dry and out of hot car boots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePower hitters and finishers, white-ball players who bat to take a game away, and collectors who want a Legend Series blade in Grade 1 willow.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SS TON","offers":[{"title":"SH (Short Handle) \/ 2.9 - 2.10 \/ Semi Oval","offer_id":52677096735000,"sku":"EW1280","price":1199.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/9028\/1496\/files\/8_77ecf656-c532-4d61-bfb9-97830f200a40.jpg?v=1789353521","url":"https:\/\/mcgsports.com.au\/products\/ss-legend-kieron-pollard-english-willow-cricket-bat","provider":"MCG Sports","version":"1.0","type":"link"}