By Duong Huynh 
So yesterday I got real curious about Ben Stokes’ bat specs after seeing that insane innings footage online. Figured hey, why not try to get close to his setup? Spent the whole afternoon messing around in the garage like a total nut.
First Thing: Tracking Down Those Details
Started diving into gear forums and fan sites looking for clues. Had zero luck finding exact models – companies keep that stuff locked down tighter than Fort Knox. Got irritated scrolling through vague ads promising “pro-grade gear” without specs. Total sales nonsense.
Slammed the laptop shut and rummaged through my old bat collection instead. Pulled out:
- My chunky 2017 Gray-Nicolls with cracked edges
- A lighter Kookaburra I never liked
- Some cheap knockoff bat my cousin gave me
All felt wrong. Too heavy, too stiff, grip like sandpaper. Started wondering if I should just give up.
The Garage Tinkering Disaster
Decided to Frankenstein my own “Stokes special”. Saw online that his bat weighs around 2lb 10oz – lighter than most big hitter sticks. Grabbed a rusty hacksaw and started shaving wood off the fat Gray-Nicolls like a madman. Wood splinters flew everywhere. Ended up with something that looked like a cricket bat chewed by beavers. Swung it twice before the dang toe snapped clean off.
Swore at the mess and threw it in the corner. Went back online feeling stupid.
Eureka Moment (Sort Of)
Stumbled on an obscure interview where Stokes mentioned using thicker edges and concaves – makes the meat of the bat bigger without crazy weight. Genius, but hard to DIY.
Rushed to the local sports dump… er, store. Flipped through dusty racks until a thin-handle Phoenix caught my eye. Weighed decently light and had that deep scoop shape. Not exactly pro gear, but close enough for garage cricket.
Spent two sweaty hours:
- Sandpapering the handle like crazy
- Rewrapping grip tape three times til it felt right
- Knocking it in with an old leather ball – my palms still sting
Test Run: Set up a tennis ball on a cone. First swing – ugly drag to midwicket. Second one? Cracked it surprisingly clean over imaginary mid-on. Grinned like an idiot.
Why Bother With This?
People keep bugging me about “magic bats”. Nah mate – it’s just less weight + bigger sweet spot + grip you don’t hate. Saw neighbourhood kids swinging those silly metal bats last weekend. Showed ’em my ratty Phoenix, smacked a few across the park. Their eyes got huge. Felt better than any brand-new purchase.
Turns out Stokes’ secret isn’t about fancy labels. It’s finding that sweet spot where the stick feels like an extension of your arms. Still hunting the perfect swing… but hey, garage experiments beat scrolling through ads any day.
Dung Huynh 