How to Find the Perfect Cricket Bat for Your 15-Year-Old Daughter
Choosing the right cricket bat for a 15-year-old can be challenging, especially when selecting the correct size, weight, and style to suit her playing technique.
If you're a parent (like me, with two children) looking for the best advice on ensuring your daughter has the perfect bat, you're in the right place. As a parent, I know the challenges and the consequences of getting it wrong—we will never hear the end of it!
At this age, girls typically outgrow junior bats but may not yet be comfortable with adult-sized bats, making it all the more important to find the correct fit.
In this post, we'll take you through the various bat sizes, the importance of weight, the different types of willow available, and why selecting a bat that's too big or heavy can harm her performance.
Let's jump straight in by understanding the bat sizes and how to measure the correct one for your daughter.
Understanding Cricket Bat Sizes for Girls
Cricket bat sizes are standardised to help players select the most appropriate bat based on height and strength. For a 15-year-old girl, her height will be the most significant factor when choosing the right size.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common bat sizes (these are what we follow at Trogon) and their suggested height ranges:
- Size 1: Suitable for children between 3.93ft - 4.23ft tall (roughly ages 5-6).
- Size 2: Ideal for children between 4.23ft - 4.49ft tall (ages 6-7).
- Size 3: Best for kids between 4.49ft - 4.72ft tall (ages 7-8).
- Size 4: Fits children between 4.72ft - 4.92ft tall (ages 8-9).
- Size 5: Suitable for kids between 4.92ft - 5.15ft tall (ages 9-10).
- Size 6: Perfect for children between 5.15ft and 5.43ft tall (ages 10-11).
- Harrow: Best suited for players between 5.43ft - 5.51ft tall (ages 11-13).
- Full Size (Short Handle): Designed for players 5.8ft and taller (ages 14+).
Thins to consider: Please note I have included a rough age bracket, but the height is much more important.
For a 15-year-old girl, the most appropriate bat size will often fall within the Harrow or Short Handle range, depending on her height. If she’s under 5.8ft tall, a Harrow bat will likely be a better fit, while girls taller than this may need a full-size Short Handle bat.
Our complete detailed size guide is pictured below.
Trogon Ladies Cricket Bats
Here at Trogon, we take girls' and ladies' cricket very seriously. Being the father of a cricket-mad daughter made me realise a few years ago how most cricket products, including bats, are designed for boys and men. That is why we designed our own ladies' cricket bat range, which you can see by clicking the link below.
These bats are designed for ladies; they are lighter but carry enough wood for your shots to reach the boundary. For your 15-year-old daughter, these might still be a little heavy, but it's worth remembering and considering.
On top of the ladies-specific bats, we also have an Academy cricket bat which is a slightly different weight and profile again and is meant to be a bridge between the harrow-size and adult-sized cricket bats.
Again, have a look at the specific weight of each bat, you can see the collection of academy cricket bats using the button below.
Why Cricket Bat Weight Matters
When selecting a cricket bat, weight is more important, than size. The wrong weight can hinder her batting performance and lead to injury.
Let’s dive deeper into why bat weight matters.
1. Performance and Technique
A cricket bat that’s too heavy can negatively impact a player’s technique. Your daughter may struggle to play shots that require fast reaction times, such as cuts and pulls or nurdles round the corner, or if one shoots of a length, you need a bat that enables her to adjust quickly.
Additionally, a heavy bat might slow down her backlift, making it harder for her to generate the correct bat speed, which is crucial for timing the ball well.
2. Injury Prevention
Injuries are another major concern. A bat that’s too heavy can put unnecessary strain on the wrists, arms, and shoulders. In the long run, this can lead to conditions like tendinitis or muscle strain, which could affect her ability to play the game.
Especially during the teenage years when all players (male and female) are still growing, it’s essential to avoid these issues by choosing the correct weight
3. Don’t Focus Too Much on Scale Weight
One common misconception is that the bat’s weight on a scale is the most important factor. What really matters more is how the bat feels in your daughter's hands and in her backlift.
This is referred to as the "pickup weight," (which I have written extensively about) is how the bat is made, where the mass of the wood is (high or low on the blade) but also what type of willow is being used.
Some bats may weigh more on a scale but feel lighter when 'picked up' with because of the way the weight is distributed. A bat with a lightweight pickup will allow her to move more freely at the crease, increasing agility and overall shot-making ability.
I personally call it the Goldilocks zone, the bat weighs on the scales 2lb 8oz, but feels closer to 2lb 6oz when picked up, this is perfect! As an example of this, see the below picture. This was a bat that I made a few months back, the scale weight was 2lb 8.6 oz, when the bat is finished and dressed (with stickers and binding etc) it will be close to 2lb 10oz.
However, when you pick this bat up, it's close to 2lb 7oz/8oz when fully dressed, the perfect weight and exactly what was ordered and importantly it meets the MCC cricket bat rules and regulations.
Trogon Top Tip
Don’t rely fully on the scale's weight. The pick-up of the bat, how it feels in the hands, and your stance is much more important, you want to find a bat that feels right in your hands and that is subjective, what feels right to you at one weight, will feel completely different to somebody else even though you are both looking for the same weight.
Types of Willow: English vs. Kashmir
Now, we move on to the type of wood used in cricket bats, which is crucial to the bat’s performance, durability, and price.
There are two main types of willow used: English willow and Kashmir willow , both of which we stock here at Trogon Cricket.
1. English Willow
English willow is the highest quality and most sought-after wood for cricket bats. Grown in England, it’s known for its superior performance, flexibility, and ability to generate significant power. English willow bats come in various grades:
- Grade 1 and Grade 1+: The finest and most expensive. These bats have very few blemishes and excellent grain structure (straight and usually around 8+ grains) and deliver optimal performance.
- Grade 2: Slightly lower in quality than Grade 1, but still an excellent choice for club-level cricketers. These bats might have a few more visible imperfections but are still made from high-quality English willow.
- Grade 3: These are the most affordable English willow bats, often featuring more prominent blemishes or knots. While they may not have the same aesthetics as the higher grades, they still perform well for amateur players.
At Trogon Cricket, we offer a full range of Grade 1, 2, and 3 bats, each handmade in our workshop, to deliver exceptional quality for cricketers of all levels.
English willow is expensive. In 2024, there was a 24% price increase for a raw cleft, which most cricket bat manufacturers had to pass on to buyers.
With the ever-increasing demand for English willow in Asia, this price trend increase will continue.
2. Kashmir Willow
Kashmir willow is a more affordable alternative to English willow. It's a bit harder and heavier, making achieving the same power as an English willow bat more challenging.
Kashmir willow bats are typically used by beginners or casual players looking for something other than top-level performance but need a solid, budget-friendly option.
For a 15-year-old girl developing her game, English willow, especially in the higher grades, is likely to offer a much better experience in balance, pickup, and performance. Still, Kashmir would be my suggestion for somebody who doesn't play regularly.
Choosing the Right Bat Style: It’s All About the Middle
The "middle" refers to the sweet spot on the bat, where the ball is best struck.
All cricket bats have different middle positions. Most of the time, this is down to manufacturers' discretion or based on custom-made preference, but it's worth understanding the difference between middle positions.
- Low Middle: These bats are ideal for players who tend to drive the ball and play on slower, lower-bouncing pitches. They are heavier in the pick-up, though—see our collection of low-middle bats.
- Mid-Middle: A versatile option, perfect for players who play a range of shots, including drives and cuts. The mid-middle suits most conditions and playing styles - see our collection of mid-point middles.
- High Middle: Best for players who play on fast, bouncy pitches. See our collection of high-middle cricket bats.
It's essential to match your daughter's playing style to the middle position of the bat. A bat with the right middle will help her play more naturally and confidently; however, how the bat feels in her stance, and pick-up is again more important than the middle position.
Avoid Buying for the Future: The Dangers of a Bat That’s Too Big
This is important.
Some parents believe it's a good idea to buy a larger bat for their children so they can "grow into it." However, this often leads to players using a bat that's too heavy, which can seriously affect their development.
If a bat is too heavy, it forces the player to adjust their stance and playing technique to compensate for the weight, often leading to poor technique.
This can be difficult to correct over time. Instead of planning for the future, it's better to focus on getting your daughter a bat that fits her now, allowing her to play naturally and without strain.
I completely understand this is frustrating to hear, especially as cricket bats are not cheap, and the thought of buying a new bat every six months can be daunting and expensive, but it's really important, especially if your daughter is playing a decent standard of cricket.
How to find the perfect cricket bat weight
As young cricketers grow and get stronger, the ideal weight of a cricket bat will change. To follow this change, the best way to check the cricket bat weight is to hold the cricket out in front of you with a straight arm; if the bat is too heavy for you to hold, then it's the wrong weight; if the bat feels comfortable and you feel you can hold it for ages, then this is the correct weight. The best option is to try this routine with different weights..
Conclusion: Let Trogon Cricket Help Find the Perfect Bat for Your Daughter
At Trogon Cricket, we specialize in custom-made cricket bats in all sizes, ensuring your 15-year-old daughter gets the right bat for her height, strength, and playing style.
We offer a wide range of bats, from Harrow to Short Handle sizes, and can create a bespoke bat to match her individual needs. Whether it’s a lightweight bat with the perfect pickup or a specific grade of English willow, we can handcraft a bat that will elevate her game and give her confidence at the crease.
Buying With Confidence from Trogon
If you've reached this point, I sincerely thank you for reading it all through. Your interest and support mean the world to me, and it's greatly appreciated.
Whether you're here to learn more about our cricket bats or other products or just out of curiosity, your engagement makes a real difference. Thank you for being part of our Trogon journey.
Trogon Product Gurantee
6-month guarantee on all cricket bats. That means if you purchase a bat through us and it breaks, as long as it has been knocked in properly, we will replace it like for like, this is our commitment to you on top of your statutory protections when buying online.Find The Perfect Cricket Bat for your 15-year old Girl
Click on the below links to find a selection of cricket bats we have at Trogon cricket.