Sixer Edition Hard Tennis Cricket Bat Review — Is It Worth It?

The Sixer Edition is the most undervalued bat in the Cielsports range — and possibly the most undervalued hard tennis cricket bat available in India at any price. At ₹3,199, it uses Grade 1+ Kashmir Willow and has 46–55mm edges — the thickest in our entire range. The AK-47 Edition costs the same ₹3,199 and uses Grade 1 willow with 44–48mm edges. Most players, seeing identical prices, default to the AK-47 because it is the known quantity. This review asks the question that every serious six-hitter should ask before buying: is the Sixer Edition worth it? The honest answer, backed by real performance testing, follows.

1. Sixer Edition — complete specifications

Sixer Edition — double blade scoop, Grade 1+ Kashmir Willow, 46–55mm edges. The most undervalued bat in the Cielsports range at ₹3,199.

2. What Grade 1+ Kashmir Willow actually means — and why it matters

Grade 1+ is the premium willow grade in the Cielsports range. Every other bat — AK-47, Killer, Monster, Gladiator — uses Grade 1 Kashmir Willow. Only the Sixer Edition uses Grade 1+. Understanding what that difference actually means at the playing level is the starting point for evaluating this bat.

The physical difference

Grade 1+ clefts are selected for 7 or more perfectly straight grains running vertically from shoulder to toe — compared to Grade 1's 6 or more. The additional grain means the wood fibres are more evenly aligned, producing two performance benefits: more consistent response across the hitting surface, and slightly lower density that gives better natural springiness without sacrificing resilience.

The performance difference at the playing level

For experienced players, the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 1+ is real and audible. The Sixer Edition produces a slightly livelier contact sound — a crisper crack on ball contact — compared to Grade 1 bats. This is not subjective: the lower density wood in Grade 1+ compresses and rebounds faster, producing marginally faster ball exit speed on well-timed contacts.

On off-centre contacts specifically — the shots that make up the majority of actual colony cricket batting — the Sixer Edition's Grade 1+ willow converts more energy from the ball's compression-rebound cycle than Grade 1 willow. The effect is small on perfect-middle contacts but measurable on the imperfect contacts that define colony cricket on uneven surfaces.

The honest qualification

Beginners and casual players will not notice the difference between Grade 1 and Grade 1+. The upgrade is meaningful for players who have played with quality bats before and can feel the difference in ball exit pace. If you are buying your first quality hard tennis cricket bat, the AK-47's Grade 1 willow delivers excellent performance. If you play regularly and want the best available — Grade 1+ in the Sixer Edition is the correct upgrade.

3. The 46–55mm edge advantage — what the thickest edges in our range deliver

The Sixer Edition has 46–55mm edges — 2–7mm thicker than the AK-47's 44–48mm edges. In manufacturing terms, these are significant differences. In playing terms, the impact is most visible on one specific type of contact: the upper-edge hit.

Why upper-edge thickness matters specifically for six-hitters

When you play an aerial shot — helicopter, slog sweep, over-midwicket loft — the ball frequently contacts the upper edge of the bat rather than the full face. This happens because aerial shots make contact higher on the blade, and even slight mis-timing on the helicopter sends the ball toward the upper edge rather than the centre.

On a bat with 44–48mm edges (AK-47), an upper-edge helicopter contact carries 35–40 metres — typically a well-fielded boundary attempt or a catch to deep midwicket. On a bat with 52–55mm edges (Sixer Edition), the same upper-edge contact carries 45–55 metres — a boundary or a six on most colony cricket grounds.

This is the Sixer Edition's defining advantage for six-hitters. It does not primarily make perfect contacts better — it makes the frequent imperfect contacts into sixes that thinner-edged bats lose short.

4. First impressions — out of the packaging

The Sixer Edition's first impression is of a bat that is simultaneously substantial and quick. The double blade scoop — two clearly visible channels running parallel down the blade back on either side of the central spine — gives the bat a distinct visual identity. Unlike the AK-47's fighter scoop or the Gladiator's full deep scoop, the double blade design preserves a central spine of wood that gives the bat structural integrity while reducing pickup weight through the two flanking channels.

The 46–55mm edges are immediately noticeable. Thick enough to pinch between thumb and index finger with real substance. Running a finger along the edge gives a confident, solid feel — not the slightly thin feel of a 44mm edge that reminds you it could be thicker.

The Grade 1+ willow face shows 7 clean, straight grains across the hitting surface. The grain consistency is visibly better than Grade 1 — the lines are slightly finer and more evenly spaced. The thumbnail press confirms proper 8-stage pressing — firm, dense, no indentation.

Pickup weight in the standard 1,050–1,130g variant feels noticeably lighter than its label weight. The double blade scoop's two channels shift the balance point forward effectively — the bat feels energetic in the hand before a single ball is bowled.

5. Six-hitting performance — the core test

The Sixer Edition lives or dies on this test. Everything else in the review is secondary to one question: does it actually hit sixes more consistently and further than the AK-47?

Testing covered five colony cricket sessions and three gully cricket sessions — approximately 120 aerial shot attempts across helicopter, slog sweep and over-midwicket loft. The AK-47 was used in equivalent conditions for direct comparison. Results:

Perfect-middle contacts

On contacts where the ball meets the full centre of the blade — the Sixer Edition and AK-47 perform comparably on helicopter shots. The Sixer produces slightly more carry due to Grade 1+ rebound quality — approximately 3–5 metres advantage on perfect helicopter contacts. The difference is real but not dramatic on full-middle contacts.

Off-centre contacts — 25–35% off the middle

This is where the Sixer Edition separates itself meaningfully. On contacts that are 25–35% toward the upper edge — the majority of actual aerial shots in colony cricket — the Sixer Edition's carry advantage increases to 8–12 metres over the AK-47. The combination of Grade 1+ rebound and thicker edges converts contacts that the AK-47 drops short into sixes on the Sixer Edition.

Upper-edge contacts — maximum test

On contacts near the top edge — the "thick-edge helicopter" that most colony players hit at least 2–3 times per innings — the Sixer Edition's advantage is maximum. AK-47 upper-edge carry: 32–38 metres. Sixer Edition upper-edge carry: 47–54 metres. A 15–16 metre difference at the extreme edge contact zone. This is not marginal. This is the difference between being caught at deep midwicket and clearing the boundary rope.

6. Colony cricket performance

Concrete surface colony cricket

On fast concrete colony cricket surfaces, the Sixer Edition's Grade 1+ willow rebound quality is amplified. Concrete generates faster ball-to-bat pace, which means the rubber ball compresses harder on contact — and Grade 1+ willow's better natural springiness returns that compression energy more efficiently. The Sixer Edition sounds noticeably crisper on concrete than Grade 1 bats — a sharper contact crack that experienced players immediately notice.

Drive performance from the double blade scoop

The double blade scoop retains the central spine — unlike the Gladiator's full deep scoop that removes wood across the full blade back. This means drives on the Sixer Edition perform better than the Gladiator while still being slightly lighter pickup than the AK-47's triple blade fighter scoop. On well-timed straight drives, the Sixer Edition carry is approximately 3–5 metres less than the AK-47 — noticeable for dedicated contact hitters but not limiting for all-round players who drive as one of several shot types.

Long innings performance — 15-over colony cricket

In a full 15-over colony innings, the Sixer Edition's double blade scoop pickup advantage compounds positively as overs progress and arm fatigue accumulates. In overs 12–15, the lighter effective pickup of the double blade design maintained shot quality on aerial shots significantly better than the standard bat feeling in overs when arm strength is depleted.

7. Upper edge contacts — where the Sixer Edition wins most clearly

This section deserves emphasis because it is the single most important practical advantage of the Sixer Edition for six-hitters — and it is the least discussed aspect of bat edge thickness in cricket bat reviews.

In a typical 15-over colony cricket innings, an aggressive six-hitter attempts approximately 15–25 aerial shots. Of these, roughly 30–40% are full-middle contacts, 40–50% are off-centre contacts, and 15–20% are upper-edge or thick-edge contacts. The upper-edge contacts are the shots most affected by edge thickness.

The Sixer Edition's 46–55mm edges — specifically the 50–55mm extreme end of that range — convert upper-edge aerial contacts into sixes that the AK-47's 44–48mm edges do not. Across a 15-over innings, this converts approximately 3–4 additional sixes from upper-edge contacts alone. In colony cricket where the difference between winning and losing a tournament is often 3–4 runs, this is match-deciding advantage.

8. Performance scores — 6 categories rated

9. Sixer Edition vs AK-47 — the definitive comparison

The honest verdict on Sixer vs AK-47: If your primary weapon in colony cricket is six-hitting through aerial shots and you want the best willow quality available at ₹3,199 — the Sixer Edition is the correct choice. If you score across multiple shot types with drives, pulls and placements alongside six-hitting — the AK-47's triple blade fighter scoop and all-round performance make it the better choice. Both are ₹3,199. Neither is the wrong choice — they are different tools for different batting styles at the same price.

10. Who should buy the Sixer Edition

11. Final verdict — is it worth ₹3,199?

Sixer Edition back — double blade scoop clearly visible. Grade 1+ Kashmir Willow, 46–55mm edges. The premium choice for serious six-hitters at ₹3,199.

12. Frequently asked questions