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sports1d ago
Australia’s Jake Weatherald and the self-taught bat maker helping to put England to the sword
- Weatherald’s performance in the Ashes elevated his prominence after a strong Sheffield Shield season.
- JK Cricket’s Jack Konnis is a self-taught bat maker who built a niche by repairing and designing bats for pros.
- Weatherald collaborated with JK to develop a heavier bat design to suit his preferred hitting areas.
- The JK Cricket operation blends traditional hand tools with selective modern processes in a small Adelaide workshop.
- Weatherald carries multiple JK bats on the Ashes tour, reflecting tailored equipment for top-level cricket.
- The price point for JK Cricket bats positions them as premium equipment in a market strained by willow costs.
- Konnis aims to grow JK Cricket into a household Australian brand through close collaboration with players.
- Weatherald developed a JK bat lineage—the JW Enigma—during his rise, aided by Weatherald’s mental-health break support.
- The article highlights the shifting willow market and MCC’s response to willow scarcity affecting bat makers.
- Weatherald’s success and JK Cricket’s growth illustrate a broader trend of player-driven equipment innovations.
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