New Balance – The Fast-Growing Cricket Brand in the Market
Whether you're a cricket enthusiast or an aspiring cricketer, you must be aware of some of the most popular cricket brands globally, like Gray-Nicolls, Gunn & Moore, Adidas, Masuri, Reebok, Boom Boom, MRF, Nike, and more. However, a new player has emerged in the cricket market in recent years and is rapidly gaining traction worldwide due to growing popularity, sales, and market share.
New Balance, an elite US sports apparel and footwear market best known for making athletic shoes and everyday sneakers, recently expanded its product line by producing high-quality cricket equipment, including cricket shoes, bats, gloves, and essential gear/equipment. With strategic product placements, smart endorsements, and a versatile product range, the company penetrated some of the major cricket-playing nations and markets like Australia and England.
However, in 2017, New Balance cricket bats gained immense popularity around the cricketing world when it became the official sponsor of the England cricket team and endorsed the likes of Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Anderson, and Jos Buttler. This development took the brand to the next level among cricketers.
In this post, we’ll share a brief overview of the company’s history, cricket bat designs, and manufacturing process.
History of New Balance Cricket Bats
Originally founded by Willian J.Riley as New Balance Arch Support Company in 1906, New Balance started by making arch supports and prescription footwear to improve shoe fit, especially for those on their feet every day. In 1961, the band released The Trackster, the world's first performance running shoe, and eventually became the go-to choice for college running coaches and athletes, paving the way for would-be sports footwear brands like Adidas and Nike.
If there's any sport that requires being on your feet for hours at a time, it's undoubtedly cricket. After revolutionizing athletic shoes and an incredible run in the sneaker and sports apparel game, the company decided to expand its product line to capture other markets using the sports popular in the region. New Balance decided to stick to its expertise and started making cricket shoes in 2012 before expanding, adding more products like gloves, guards, and pads until they eventually launched their cricket bats line.
New Balance cricket bats started taking the market by storm in 2013 with the brand officially signing Steve Smith, who was and remains one of the best batsmen in the world. Over time, the bats became famous for their attacking qualities, large edges, and fashionable design. However, the company's decision to further diversify its cricket bat range for different types of cricketers truly put them on the map.
New Balance Cricket Bat Designs
Today, New Balance offers three distinct ranges (TC, DC, and Burn) that feature bats with different blade profiles, swell, spine positions, weight, and sweet spots. Moreover, these bats are all made of different grades of English willow, and you can find an option that matches your budget. For instance, if you're looking for a short-handle cricket bat, then you don’t need to look further than the Burn range emphasis grip, swing speed, and foot movement for enhanced strokeplay.
New Balance Cricket Bats Manufacturing
The biggest driver of New Balance’s growing success across the cricketing world is its manufacturing strategy and process. The company outsourced production to FC Sondhi’s cricket factory in Jalandhar, India, which is known as the cricket manufacturing hub of the Indian subcontinent. Most New Balance cricket bats are made using English willow, imported from Essex, and Kashmir willow, which is locally sourced. The handles are made using Sarawak cane which is sourced from Malaysia. The bat grip, stickers, and other products are all locally sourced and exported to outlets in the top-cricket playing nations worldwide since the local market is dominated by the likes of SS Ton, MRF, RNS, and other local brands. However, New Balance's Kashmir willow bats, considered second-tier products, are mostly sold to juniors and leisure cricketers due to their inexpensive price tags.
Conclusion
To sum up, we believe that it’s safe to say that New Balance cricket bats and products have gone from strength to strength over the last decade and continue to gain more popularity and sales every year. With a vast selection of cricket equipment and highly affordable prices, you can upgrade your cricket gear and improve overall performance. Feel free to check out the 2022 product range, which features the latest TC, DC, and Burn bats along with cricket spikes, pads, and gloves.