KNOW
CHASE
SINCE 1996.
FINEST SALIX ALBA CAERULEA.
Traditional Craftsmanship
Since 1996, from their workshop in the heart of the Hampshire countryside, Chase Cricket has been designing and handcrafting the very finest cricket bats for young and old in all levels of the game.
Chase Philosophy
The willow, the finest salix alba caerulea, is sourced locally, allowing them to pay close attention to the weight and grain structure of each cleft. Only the finest willow is selected to become a Chase cricket bat.
Throughout the manufacturing process, every bat is meticulously checked, ensuring that no Chase bat leaves the workshop unless it meets their high standards.
CHASE "Platinum"
CHASE Cricket's Platinum is made of the finest of the English willows. It comes with minimum of 12 straight grains and 10 inch performance zone which ensures maximum performance. Designed with semi-flat face profile to maximize edge size.
CHASE "FLC - Four Leaf Clover"
CHASE top of the range FLC bat is made from hand-picked top 4% of their premium English willow. FLC with a massive 8 inch drive zone is excellent for all round play. Its low sweet spot and big profile provides maximum momentum from pick-up to shot. Designed with semi-flat face profile to maximize edge size.
CHASE "Vortex"
Massive profile with explosive performance for the big hitter. Exquisitely balanced and high performing to play big entertaining shots. A modern shaped bat with a gigantic middle and big edges is ideal for the short game. It has a 20mm shorter blade.
CHASE "Volante"
The mid-low sweet spot suits both the aggressive and defensive batsman looking to time the ball to perfection. A traditional profile gives a balanced pick-up, perfect for big hitters. Designed with semi-flat face profile to maximize edge size.
CHASE "Finback"
Extra scooped flanks provide feather light pick-up, increasing control for quick reaction time. It’s the perfect bat to play both touch shots and attacking drives. Mid-blade sweet spot makes it perfect for every shot.
The CHASE Guarantee
CHASE gives all their bats four hours' worth of knocking-in to loosen and soften the compressed wood fibers on the surface, forming a supple finish. This increases the performance of the bats recoil reaction. Edges and corners are boned to further strengthen the bat and protect it against damage.
CHASE Manufacturing Process
The willow is compressed to produce a hard enough surface to withstand the impact of a cricket ball. Over-pressing the blade can be detrimental, producing a blade that is too hard. The blade is pressed up to three times between 1500 lbs and 2000 lbs per square inch.
After pressing, the splice is cut into the shoulder end of the blade to accept the handle. The cleft is then expertly shaped using drawknives, spokeshaves and wooden block planes. A radial blockplane is used to shape the flanks on the Finback. The handle is shaped using a rasp taking care to create that classic oval handle. The shoulders and blade are now sanded on inflatable sanding drums. Hand sanding with three grades of sandpaper achieves a very high finish. The edges of the bat are boned to make them more resilient to damage.
An acetone sealant is applied to stop moisture damage in the toe area. The bat is then held between centres whilst the handle is bound using high quality twine. Applying PVA adhesive seals the twine and strengthens the handle. Burnishing the blade with Hampshire chalk and beeswax gives a high gloss finish. The bats are then carefully labelled and fitted with a UK made latex grip.
Finally, each bat is run through the knocking-in machine to loosen and soften the compressed wood fibres across the whole surface of the blade.
Awards and Recognition
Chase bats have won many awards for their quality, performance, pick-up and value for money they provide. Here are a few of them as published in the Cricketer magazine.
2020: Chase Four Leaf Clover (FLC) comes on top with respect to Build Quality, Pick-up/Feel and Performance in The Cricketer Good Gear Guide.
2018: Chase Cricket's Finback R7 wins The Cricketer "Good Gear Guide - Best in Class" award
2017: Chase Cricket's Vortex ranks 1st in The Cricketer "Good Gear Guide" award
2020
2017
2018
