Best Junior Cricket Bats: Sizes, Willow and Our Picks

The best junior cricket bat is the one that fits the child now and suits the ball they play with. Get the size right by height, choose Kashmir willow for soft-ball cricket and English willow once a hard ball arrives, and the rest is budget. This page sets out what we stock at each size, with prices on 15 October 2026, the picks we would start with, and how to tell whether a bat fits.

Junior Bats in Stock by Size

Counts are match bats only. We also sell a moulded practice bat in size 1 and a narrow training bat in Harrow, which are not included. The Kashmir figures include Kookaburra's alternative willow juniors. Browse them all in our junior cricket bats collection.

Choose the Size by Height

Size by the child's height today, not their age and not the height they will be next summer. A bat that is too big forces a shorter backlift and a heavier grip, and a child will play worse with it for the whole season. Our cricket bat size guide has the height chart for every size. Two common checks confirm it in person:

• The upright test: with the child standing in their batting stance, the top of the handle should sit around the top of the thigh, not up at the hip.
• The pick-up test: they should be able to hold the bat out in front of them in their top hand for about ten seconds. If they cannot, it is too heavy, whatever the size.

Kashmir or English Willow

Match the willow to the ball. Gray-Nicolls' junior guide puts it simply: a Kashmir willow bat for a junior starting soft-ball cricket, and an entry English willow bat for a slightly older junior facing a hard ball. Kashmir is cheaper and needs little preparation. English willow plays better against a hard ball but needs oiling and several hours of knocking in first.

Two of Kookaburra's grade numbers are worth knowing about here. Its 6.2 and 6.3 grades are hybrids, with an English willow face on a Kashmir willow back, and its 7.1 and 8.1 juniors are alternative willow throughout. Our guides to English willow versus Kashmir willow and the Kashmir willow bat go further.

Our Picks by Size

Sizes 1 and 2: Soft Ball

At this age the bat is for learning to hit a soft ball, and weight matters far more than willow. For size 2 the Gunn and Moore Rival Kashmir Willow Junior at £36.99 is the cheapest real bat we hold. The Gray-Nicolls Havoc 1.0 Power Junior, English willow from £84.99, comes in every size from 1 to Harrow, so it is the one to start with if you expect to buy the same bat again as the child grows.

Sizes 3 and 4: The Hard-Ball Step

Most children meet a hard ball somewhere in sizes 3 and 4, so this is where the choice of willow matters most. For a soft-ball season, the DSC Spliit 440 at £32.99 in size 3 and the DSC Spliit 110 at £42.99 in sizes 1 to 4 are the cheapest Kashmir bats we stock. Once the ball is hard, the Gray-Nicolls Ventus 1.0 Power Junior at £69.99 in sizes 3 and 4 is the cheapest English willow, and the Gunn and Moore Radon at £74.99 the next step.

Sizes 5 and 6: Club Juniors

Almost everything at sizes 5 and 6 is English willow, and children often stay in one of these sizes for two seasons, so it is worth spending a little more. The Gunn and Moore Radon starts at £74.99 in size 6 and £79.99 in size 5. Above that, club bats from Gray-Nicolls, Kookaburra, DSC and Gunn and Moore run up to about £230 at size 5 and £245 at size 6, and the extra buys a better grade of willow and a more careful finish rather than a different shape.

Harrow and Small Adult

Harrow sits between size 6 and a full short handle. Our match bats start at £99.99, with the CA Pro 7000 Junior, and run to about £280 for a top junior bat such as the Gunn and Moore Rival Original Junior. Small Adult is a slightly smaller short handle for players who have outgrown Harrow but are not yet adult height, from £129.99. Both are in our Harrow cricket bats collection.

Before the First Hard Ball

An English willow bat needs knocking in before it faces a hard ball; Gray-Nicolls ask for six to seven hours on a natural bat, and our knocking-in guide sets out the method. Fit a face sheet before the first net, not after the first crack. And under the ECB's safety guidelines, every player under 18 must wear a helmet with a faceguard when batting against a hard ball, in matches and in practice.

Buying a Junior Bat as a Present

If the bat is a Christmas or birthday present, check the child's height first, and allow for the knocking in: a natural English willow bat bought in December is a winter project before it is ready for the nets. Our cricket gift guide has other ideas for young players.

FAQs: Junior Cricket Bats

What size cricket bat does my child need?
Size by height, not age. Our size guide has the chart; the upright and pick-up tests confirm it.

Should a junior bat be Kashmir or English willow?
Kashmir for soft-ball cricket, English willow once the child plays regularly with a hard ball.

How much should I spend on a junior cricket bat?
In our range, Kashmir willow juniors start at £32.99 and English willow at £69.99. Children outgrow bats quickly, so spending more mainly makes sense at sizes 5, 6 and Harrow.

Should I buy a bigger bat for my child to grow into?
No. A bat that is too big makes them play worse for the whole season.

Does a junior bat need knocking in?
An English willow bat does, before it faces a hard ball. Most Kashmir bats need little preparation.