New Balance Cricket Bats: Who Makes Them, Ranges and Prices
New Balance is the brand club players ask the most questions about, and they are usually the same three. Does a running shoe company really make cricket bats, who actually makes them, and are they any good. All three have straight answers.
We hold 19 New Balance bats in stock across four ranges, from £44.99 to £419.99. This covers where they come from, what separates the ranges, and which one suits which player.
Who Actually Makes New Balance Cricket Bats
New Balance does not press its own clefts. It sources its bats from FC Sondhi and Co in Jalandhar, in the Indian state of Punjab, as reported by The Cricket Monthly in its account of the modern bat trade.
That is worth knowing but it is not the criticism it sounds like. Outsourcing is how most of the industry works. Large subcontinental factories make bats under their own name and for international brands at the same time, and several will not say publicly which labels they supply. A bat is judged on the cleft it was cut from and the pressing it was given, and neither of those depends on whose logo goes on the face.
What New Balance brings is specification and spend. The brand went at cricket seriously in the mid 2010s and backed it with money, signing Joe Root in a deal The Cricket Monthly reported at £200,000. That budget buys willow grading and player feedback rather than just advertising. If you have ever wondered why an NB bat at £300 feels closer to an English brand's £400 bat, that is the reason.
The Four Ranges We Stock
| Range | In stock | Price band | Model years | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC | 6 | £119.99 to £419.99 | 2023 to 2025 | The all rounder, widest spread |
| Heritage | 5 | £139.99 to £419.99 | 2024 to 2025 | Traditional profile, classic look |
| Burn | 4 | £129.99 to £359.99 | 2024 to 2025 | Aggressive shaping, bigger edges |
| TC | 4 | £44.99 to £419.99 | 2025 | Spans junior entry to flagship |
How the Numbering Works
New Balance numbers run forwards, which is a relief after some brands. A higher number is a better bat. TC 300 sits at £44.99, TC 500 at £119.99, TC 600 at £139.99, and TC 1000 Max at £419.99. The same pattern holds across DC and Heritage.
This is the opposite of how DSC numbers most of its ranges, so if you are cross shopping the two, check which way round you are reading. The suffix Max marks the top of a range rather than a separate model, and Pro does the same job in Burn.
Three Flagships at Exactly the Same Price
The DC 1000 Max, Heritage 1000 Max and TC 1000 Max are all £419.99. That is not an accident and it is the most useful thing to understand about the brand. At the top of the line you are not choosing a price tier, you are choosing a profile.
- DC 1000 Max at 2lb 10oz is the balanced all rounder, the safe pick if you are unsure.
- Heritage 1000 Max at 2lb 10oz runs the traditional shape, with a more conventional spine and a classic look.
- TC 1000 Max at 2lb 9oz is the lightest of the three in stock, which suits players who want the top grade without the swing weight.
Pick by how the bat comes up in your hands rather than by the badge. An ounce of difference at the top of a range changes more about how a bat plays than the range name does.
Burn, and the Aggressive End
Burn is the range shaped for players who hit through the line and want visible edges. The Burn 800 Pro at £359.99 is the top of what we stock, available at 2lb 7oz and 2lb 8oz, which is unusually light for a bat with that much wood in the edges.
That combination is the point of it. Big edges usually mean a heavy bat, and shaping a big profile to come up light is the harder engineering. If you want presence at the crease without losing bat speed, Burn is where to look.
DC, Heritage and the Middle of the Range
The genuinely good value sits between £179.99 and £304.99. A DC 580 at £179.99 is the cheapest senior New Balance bat we carry, and given that senior English willow starts around £150 across all brands, that is a competitive entry into a sponsored international brand.
Above it, a DC 500 Max or Heritage at £214.99, a Burn 600 or Heritage 600 at £269.99, and a DC 800 at £304.99 cover most club players comfortably. The step from £304.99 to £419.99 buys cosmetic grade more than it buys performance.
Where New Balance Sits Against the Other Brands
New Balance has the narrowest senior range of any major brand we carry. Every senior NB bat sits between £179.99 and £419.99, with a median of £304.99. There is no budget end and no halo bat.
| Brand | Senior bats in stock | Cheapest | Dearest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunn & Moore | 62 | £119.99 | £879.99 |
| Kookaburra | 54 | £32.99 | £789.99 |
| Gray-Nicolls | 45 | £4.00 | £629.99 |
| DSC | 41 | £159.99 | £629.99 |
| New Balance | 11 | £179.99 | £419.99 |
That shape cuts both ways. You will not find an NB bargain bat, and if you want the most expensive willow on the rack you need to look at Gunn and Moore or Kookaburra, both of which run to nearly double the NB ceiling.
What you get in exchange is a range with no filler. Eleven senior bats across four ranges means every one has a clear job, which is a genuinely easier decision than picking through sixty. For a club player who wants a good bat without a fortnight of research, that narrowness is a feature.
A Note on Model Years
Everything we hold from New Balance is 2023 to 2025. There is no 2026 New Balance stock on the shelf at the moment, so this range is last season and the one before.
For a bat that matters less than it sounds. Willow does not age on a rack over a season or two, and the specification of a DC 1000 Max is what it was when it launched. What you lose is choice of weight, because the popular sizes sell first. If your weight is still listed, an older model year is the better buy. If it is not, the decision is made for you.
Which New Balance Bat for Which Player
- First junior bat: TC 300 at £44.99, size 1.
- Junior on a hard ball: TC 500 or DC 500 Max Junior at £119.99, or a Burn 600 Junior at £139.99. Sizing follows the junior size and stock guide.
- Adult starting out: DC 580 at £179.99.
- Regular club player: DC 500 Max or Heritage at £214.99.
- Weekly hard ball cricket: Burn 600 or Heritage 600 at £269.99, or a DC 800 at £304.99.
- Wants big edges, light pick-up: Burn 800 Pro at £359.99.
- Top grade: any of the three 1000 Max bats at £419.99, chosen on profile and weight.
Stock and prices checked 31 July 2026. Model years and availability move through the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New Balance actually make cricket bats? Yes, and they are a serious part of the market rather than a licensing exercise. The brand does not press the clefts itself, which is normal in the trade.
Who makes New Balance cricket bats? FC Sondhi and Co in Jalandhar, India, according to The Cricket Monthly's reporting on the bat industry. Jalandhar is one of the main manufacturing centres for cricket equipment.
Where are New Balance cricket bats made? In India, from English willow clefts. The willow itself is grown in England, which is true of every English willow bat regardless of where it is shaped and pressed. The alternative is Kashmir willow, which New Balance uses only at the junior entry level.
Are New Balance cricket bats any good? At the £180 to £300 band they compete well against English brands at the same price, because the manufacturing cost base is lower and more of the price goes into the cleft. At the top of the range you are paying for grading and cosmetics, the same as anywhere.
Which is the best New Balance cricket bat? Three share the top spot at £419.99. Choose the DC for balance, the Heritage for a traditional profile, and the TC if you want the lightest of the three.
What size New Balance bat do I need? The same size as in any brand, since the Laws of Cricket cap dimensions for every maker. Measure by height and check the pick-up against the standard sizing bands.
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