New Balance TC 800i Pro English Willow Cricket Bat | Grade 2 | Mid-Low Sweet Spot | Round Sarawak Cane Handle | Short Handle | Power Batting

New Balance TC 800i Pro — The Power Hitter’s English Willow Bat

New Balance entered cricket equipment relatively recently compared to the established Indian bat makers, but they arrived with a clear point of view — modern profiles, aggressive sweet spot positioning, and construction built for the way the game is played now. The TC 800i Pro is a statement bat. It’s built for batsmen who score quickly, who hit through the line, who play the ball deep and hit it hard. The mid-low sweet spot, the full profile edges, and the pronounced spine are all deliberate choices that point in one direction — power.

Grade 2 English Willow means you’re playing with genuine EW — the right material for serious cricket — at a price that reflects the grade honestly. The wood performs as English Willow. The bat plays as a serious match and club bat. The grade simply means the visual grain characteristics of the blade are less uniform than Grade 1 — which has no bearing on how the bat plays in the middle.

Grade 2 English Willow — Real EW Performance

English Willow is the only material that performs the way a proper cricket bat should — the right density, the right fibre structure, and the ability to compress under impact and spring back efficiently. Grade 2 sits one step below Grade 1 in terms of cosmetic grain quality — the grain lines may be slightly wider or less perfectly straight, and the blade may have minor cosmetic variations. None of this affects the wood’s ability to perform. The fibre structure that produces the characteristic English Willow response — that satisfying crack when the middle is found, that transfer of energy into the ball — is fully present in Grade 2 willow.

For a club player who plays regularly and treats their bat properly, Grade 2 English Willow is the best value in the EW range. You’re paying for performance, not for grain aesthetics.

Mid-Low Sweet Spot — Built for the Modern Power Game

The sweet spot on the TC 800i Pro sits in the mid-low position — lower on the blade than a traditional mid sweet spot, closer to the toe. This positioning is a deliberate response to how the modern power game is played. Front-foot batsmen who drive hard and meet the ball full — who hit under the ball and hit it long — make contact lower on the blade than classic technique batsmen who hit the ball at waist height. A mid-low sweet spot aligns the maximum power zone with exactly the contact point that a front-foot power hitter reaches most often.

This is also the sweet spot position that works best for power hitting against pace bowling on good-length deliveries — the ball arrives at a length that a committed front-foot player meets in the lower half of the blade. If you’re a batsman who drives hard, hits through mid-off and covers with authority, and looks to hit the ball on the full as often as possible, the mid-low positioning is working with your game rather than against it.

It also suits T20 and limited-overs batting — where the ball is hit harder and fuller-pitched deliveries are targeted for maximum distance. The TC 800i Pro is, at its core, a modern limited-overs power bat.

Full Profile — 38–40mm Edges, High Spine

The TC 800i Pro carries a full, modern power profile. Edge thickness sits at approximately 38 to 40mm — substantial enough to carry genuine mass through the off-side and leg-side edges, converting what would be thin-edged mishits on a traditional profile into boundary-carrying edges on this one. The spine height reaches 62 to 64mm — a pronounced, thick spine that concentrates mass through the centre of the blade and gives the sweet spot real depth.

The spine incorporates a slight concave to maintain a balanced pickup despite the high spine height — without it, a bat this thick in the middle would feel unwieldy and top-heavy in hand. New Balance’s design team have managed the pickup carefully so the bat feels more manageable than the raw numbers suggest.

Round Sarawak Cane Handle — Flow Through the Stroke

The handle is built from imported Sarawak cane — the premium cane material used in quality cricket bats worldwide, known for its combination of flexibility and shock absorption. Sarawak cane flexes appropriately to absorb the jarring impact of a hard-driven delivery, protecting the hands while maintaining the feel and response that batsmen need to judge the shot.

The round cross-section gives complete freedom of grip rotation — no fixed orientation reference, which suits batsmen who adjust their grip naturally between shots and play a wide variety of strokes requiring different hand positions. Power hitters who drive on both sides of the wicket and play the pull and cut with equal confidence typically prefer the freedom of a round handle.

Weight — 1160 to 1220 Grams

The TC 800i Pro typically weighs between 1160 and 1220 grams. Within this range, individual bats vary — some players prefer the lighter end for faster swing speed and less fatigue over long innings, others prefer the heavier end for the additional mass behind the shot. At Anytime Sports we can advise on the specific weight of available stock if this is a critical factor for you.

Short Handle — Standard Adult Size

Short Handle is the standard adult size — correct for players approximately 5’6″ and above, and the size used at all levels of adult cricket. The TC 800i Pro is available in Short Handle.

Knocking In and Oiling — Essential Before First Use

All English Willow bats require proper preparation before use with a hard ball. Oil the face, edges, back, and toe with raw linseed oil — not the splice or handle — and allow 24 hours between coats. Apply two to three coats before beginning the knocking-in process. Knock in progressively with a bat mallet over several sessions, starting light and building to full-force strikes before the bat faces any match or net conditions. This preparation is what determines how long and how well the bat performs. A properly prepared Grade 2 English Willow bat will outperform a neglected Grade 1 bat every time.

Who Is This For?

• Front-foot power hitters who drive hard and want a bat built for the way they play
• Club and recreational players who want genuine English Willow performance at Grade 2 value
• T20 and limited-overs specialists who target full-pitched deliveries for maximum distance
• Players upgrading from Kashmir Willow or a lower-grade EW bat to a proper full-profile power bat
• Anyone looking for a well-built New Balance English Willow bat at a serious club level

Why Anytime Sports

Thane-based authorised sports retailer. All New Balance cricket products we carry are genuine. Fast delivery across India.