When cricket nut Joe Bottomley turned 22 at the end of November, his Dad Nick, wanted to get his son a birthday gift with a difference!
Now Joe’s not daft he’d dropped a few hints to the old man in the weeks leading up to his birthday about his need to get a new cricket bat and that he loved the look of the B3 Custom bats and the service they offered.
Not being slow on the take up Dad (Nick Bottomley) went online to book a cricket net session in the B3 Academy for Joe and also dropped us an email asking if Joe could design / select a new bat.
The Cricket Net Session
As ever, we were only too pleased to welcome someone to the factory and showroom and give them the B3 VIP Treatment.
Joe, who plays for Belvoir CC in Leicestershire, got his pads on and had a one hour net session in our brilliant indoor facility. He was able to try various B3 shapes and weights against a variety of deliveries to fully understand what which bat he liked the feel of. We have had nothing but fantastic feedback about the surface at the academy, especially around the fact that it very much simulates decent club tracks, and therefore the player gets a real appreciation of what bat suits them.
Choosing His B3 Belter
After the net session, Joe ventured into the B3 Cricket Shop with a greater understanding of what he liked in a bat. We then fine-tuned this and ended up with a Custom Bat specification he was very happy with!
Joe eventually decided upon a bat from our Custom Range with the model number CDX 03.2. He’s a big lad as you can see below, so the long handle option was perfect. This was finished at exactly 2lb 10.5 ounces and beautifully emblazoned with grey camouflage stickers and a silver chevron grip.
Joe also liked the slight oval shape on one of the bats he used in the nets so he decided on that as an option also.
Jack said this about his visit:
“I visited the B3 Factory as a treat for my birthday and the service I received was excellent. Spent the first hour in the nets, which I couldn’t fault, testing all the bats available. From here, picked out my favourite and went on to choosing exactly what I wanted and the final result I received a week later I am very happy with! Had a great tour of the factory also! Definitely worth a visit by anyone!”
The Factory Tour and Bat Making Experience
After the choosing his Custom cricket bat, Joe and Nick were taken on the B3 factory tour by our very own bat maker, Gav Corns. They were taken through the entire bat making process and experienced how his bat would be made to order.
This turned out to be a great Birthday present for Joe, as it would any cricketer, the words kids in a sweet shop got mentioned at least a couple of times during the visit.
If you would like to organise something similar for the special cricketer in your life, get in touch and B3 will make their dreams come true!
Tel 0115 9770198
Email enquiries@b3cricket.com
You may also be interested in our Ultimate Bespoke Cricket Bat Experience.