GM Rival Cricket Bats: Grades, Profile and Prices

The Gunn & Moore Rival is GM's mid to low swell bat for the all-round shot maker, with substantial toe depth, an F2 face and a chequered-flag livery. It is the GM range we stock in the most grades: 404, 606, Signature, 808, 909 and Original, from £152.99 to £489.99, with juniors from size 2. This guide explains the Rival profile, what the GM grades mean, what the testers said, and lists every Rival we stock with our prices on 26 October 2026.

The Rival Profile

Every senior Rival in our stock is a 2026 bat, and each carries the same measurements in its specification:

• Blade and handle: GM's traditional L555 blade length with a 295mm handle.
• Swell: mid to low, for the all-round shot maker.
• Face and bow: an F2 face profile and GM's Powerarc bow.
• Shape: substantial toe depth and sweeping contours.
• Grip and willow: GM's Apex grip, made in England from English willow.

Next to the mid-swell GM Diamond and the mid to high swell GM Galaxy, the Rival's middle sits lower, though not as low as the low-swell GM Aion. Our GM cricket bats review compares every range.

What the GM Grades Mean

The number is the willow grade, and it rises with the willow: the 404 is the entry English willow Rival, then the 606, 808 and 909, with the Original at the top. The shape does not change between grades. The 2026 Rival listings do not give a willow grade for each number, so the price is the clearest guide, from £152.99 for the 404 to £489.99 for the Original.

The Signature sits outside that ladder. At £239.99 it is priced between the 606 and the 808, well below the Original, so do not read it as a near-top grade. The biggest step in the Rival range is from the 606 to the 808, £140.

Every Rival We Stock

Senior short handle bats in stock on 26 October 2026. Every bat here is in our GM cricket bats collection.

Junior Rival Bats

The Kashmir willow Rival, at £36.99, is the cheapest GM willow bat we sell and is specified as entry-level willow. The 404 junior covers the widest run, sizes 3 to Harrow, and the Harrow Original at £279.99 is for a strong age-group batter who wants top-grade willow. Use our cricket bat size guide to choose the size and our guide to the best junior cricket bats to compare brands.

What Independent Testers Said

The Cricketer tested the Rival Signature in March 2026 and scored it 8.6 overall in its Rival Signature bat review, with 9 for performance. The test bat weighed 2lb 12oz with 40mm edges, at an RRP of £250. Testers praised its pick-up and balance through the downswing, though some found it slightly heavy for their taste. The review said "the middle is positioned superbly, neither too high nor too low", that shots struck near the edges still travelled well, and that one tester gave it full marks in every category.

Those 40mm edges are as big as the Laws allow: MCC Law 5.7.2 caps a blade's edges at 4.0cm. We sell the Rival Signature at £239.99, in 2lb 10oz, two ounces lighter than the test bat.

Which Rival to Buy

1. Club player on a budget: the Rival 404 at £152.99, in 2lb 8oz or 2lb 9oz.
2. The tested bat: the Rival Signature at £239.99, which scored 8.6 with The Cricketer.
3. Regular weekend batter: the 808 at £339.99, or the 909 at £419.99, which we have in three weights from 2lb 9oz to 2lb 11oz.
4. Top grade in the range: the Rival Original at £489.99, in 2lb 9oz or 2lb 10oz.
5. Junior on hard ball: the 404 junior at £124.99, in sizes 3 to 6, or £139.99 in Harrow.

If you want a showpiece above the Original, our Players Edition cricket bats collection has GM's Ben Stokes Players Edition, which shares the Diamond's specification. If you prefer a higher middle, look at the Diamond or the Galaxy. Our guide to knocking in a new cricket bat covers preparing whichever you choose, and our page on what bats the pros use covers GM's players.

FAQs: GM Rival

Is the GM Rival a good bat?
The Cricketer scored the Rival Signature 8.6 overall in 2026, praising its pick-up and the position of its middle. It suits an all-round shot maker who likes a lower middle and big edges.

Where is the swell on the Rival?
Mid to low, according to its specification, lower than the Diamond and the Galaxy.

Is the Rival Signature better than the 606?
It is priced above it, at £239.99 against £199.99, and below the 808. GM's Signature models sit outside the numbered grade ladder.

What does the Rival cost?
With us, from £152.99 for the 404 to £489.99 for the Original. Juniors start at £36.99 for the Kashmir willow bat.

Is there a junior Rival?
Yes. We stock it from size 2 in Kashmir willow and from size 3 in English willow, up to Harrow.