Size 4 Cricket Bat: A Guide for ParentsThe size where the choice opens up — and where the obvious upgrade is usually wrong
Size 4 is where a junior cricketer usually stops being handed whatever the club had spare. It is also the first size where you have a real choice of bat — and the first where the instinct to buy up costs you.
Who Size 4 fits
| Size | Height | In centimetres |
|---|---|---|
| Size 3 | 4ft 3in – 4ft 6in | 130–137cm |
| Size 4 | 4ft 6in – 4ft 9in | 137–145cm |
| Size 5 | 4ft 9in – 5ft 1in | 145–155cm |
Many children around nine to eleven land here, but age is not the measurement. Children in the same school year regularly need Size 3, Size 4 and Size 5 between them — measure them barefoot against a wall and work from the number.
Two minutes to check it
The hip test. Stand the bat vertically beside their leg, in the shoes they play in. The top of the handle should reach their hip. Knee or mid-thigh means too small; navel or chest means too big.
The stance test. Normal stance, slow backlift, slow forward defensive. Does the bat move freely, or does the handle catch the forearm? Does their posture change to manage it? Does the toe drag through the shot?
Where the chart and the tests disagree, trust the tests — the chart knows their height, the tests know their proportions.
And do not buy Size 5 so they grow into it. A bat that is too big forces a tighter grip, a shortened backlift and bottom-hand dominance — structural compensations that become natural within two seasons and take far longer than that to correct. A bat slightly too small is far better than one slightly too big.
Why the choice opens up here
This is the practical difference between Size 3 and Size 4, and it is worth knowing before you shop.
| Bat | Smallest size | Available at Size 4? |
|---|---|---|
| Player Edition — ₹5,999 | Size 3 | Yes |
| Academy Edition — ₹4,499 | Size 4 | Yes |
| Legend Edition — ₹4,999 | Size 4 | Yes |
| Limited Edition — ₹5,499 | Size 4 | Yes |
| English willow range | Adult-oriented, seven sizes | No |
At Size 3 there was one option. At Size 4 there are four, spanning ₹4,499 to ₹5,999 — which is where the next question becomes the important one.
Why Grade 2 beats Grade 1 for an academy player
The instinct is that a higher grade is a better bat for a promising child. It is usually wrong, and the reason is worth understanding rather than just accepting.
Higher grades are selected for performance, not durability. A finer cleft is older, lighter and less dense — superb response, and less material to absorb repeated abuse.
Now consider what a young player in an academy actually does to a bat: three or four net sessions a week, frequent mishits, often on hard surfaces, sharing nets with other children hitting the same ball.
Grade 2 Kashmir willow is denser than Grade 1. For that workload it is not a compromise — it is the correct timber, and it will outlast a finer bat costing more in the same nets.
Buy the higher grades when the player is middling the ball regularly and playing matches rather than nets. Below that, you are paying for consistency they cannot yet exploit, in timber that wears faster. That is a genuinely poor trade and it is the most common way money is wasted at this age.
The four bats
All four are Kashmir willow, all four get 8-stage hydraulic pressing, a multi-piece Singapore cane handle, a fitted toe guard, a 12-month handle warranty, and free customisation including engraving.
Academy Edition — ₹4,499
Grade 2 Kashmir willow · 40–41mm edges
Grade 2 is a denser cleft than Grade 1, and density is exactly what high-volume net cricket demands. Academy bats fail at the toe and the edge, not in the middle.
Right for: A child in nets three or four times a week. Genuinely the better tool than a finer grade, not a budget compromise.
Legend Edition — ₹4,999
Grade 1 Kashmir willow · 40–42mm edges
Straight fibre running cleanly toe to shoulder, even density, no internal cracking. Where a Kashmir willow bat becomes reliable for weekly leather ball cricket.
Right for: A player whose cricket is mostly matches rather than nets.
Limited Edition — ₹5,499
Grade 1+ Kashmir willow · 40–43mm edges
Our widest Kashmir edges. Sits ₹500 below the Player Edition and shares the same edges, weight band, pressing, handle and warranty.
Right for: Competitive age-group cricket where the bat has to perform in the second hour as well as the first.
Player Edition — ₹5,999
Player Grade Kashmir willow · 40–43mm edges
The top grade of Kashmir willow cleft, selected for uniform density across the whole blade. Our best-selling bat in any category.
Right for: A player middling the ball consistently and playing regular competitive cricket.
The rest of the kit
A Size 4 player in leather ball cricket needs all of this.
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Batting pads, Youth | Measure knee to instep. The knee roll must sit over the kneecap — that is the test, not overall length. |
| Batting gloves, Youth | Middle fingertip to wrist crease. Under 17cm takes Youth. |
| Thigh guard set | Outer and inner. The most skipped item at this age. |
| Abdominal guard | Non-negotiable in leather ball cricket. |
| Helmet | Buy separately and have it fitted. Fit is a safety matter, not a comfort one. |
Pads and gloves are handed. The protection is heavier on the top hand and front leg, because those take the direct blows. Ask which hand they bat with, not which they write with.
Or take the Future X1 Junior Kit at ₹8,999, which contains the six items sized together — for a first purchase that removes several chances to get something wrong. Our kit checklist covers what any kit should contain.
And it needs knocking in
Four to six hours of mallet work on Kashmir willow plus light oiling, spread over two to three weeks. Junior bats are not exempt, and skipping it is the single most common way a new bat is destroyed. Add our preparation service for ₹1,000, or follow the guide together — plenty of families make it part of the routine.
When to move up
When the bat fails the fit tests as too small — handle reaching the knee rather than the hip, and a cramped backlift. Check at the start of each season, because children grow in bursts rather than steadily.
Two things about the step to Size 5:
- Leather ball cricket usually gets more serious there, which is when a step up in grade starts to make sense — not before.
- Protection outlasts bats. Youth pads and gloves generally see out two or three bats, so the next purchase is often just the bat itself.
Questions parents ask
What height is a Size 4 cricket bat for? +
Roughly 4ft 6in to 4ft 9in, which is about 137 to 145cm. That covers many children around nine to eleven, but age is not the measurement - children in the same school year regularly need Size 3, Size 4 and Size 5 between them. Measure barefoot against a wall.
What is the difference between Size 3 and Size 4? +
About three inches of height and roughly three centimetres of bat length. More importantly for buying, Size 4 is where our range opens up - the Academy Edition, Legend Edition and Limited Edition all start at Size 4, where the Player Edition is the only bat that goes down to Size 3.
Which bat should I buy in Size 4? +
For a child in nets several times a week, the Academy Edition at ₹4,499 - it is Grade 2 Kashmir willow, which is a denser cleft and better suited to that workload than a finer grade. For a child playing mostly matches, the Player Edition at ₹5,999. Both are leather ball bats and both need knocking in.
Why is Grade 2 better for an academy player than Grade 1? +
Because higher grades are selected for performance rather than durability. A finer cleft is older, lighter and less dense, which means less material to absorb repeated abuse - and a child in nets four times a week produces a great deal of it. Grade 2 Kashmir willow is denser overall and lasts better under that use.
How do I check a Size 4 bat fits? +
Stand it vertically beside their leg in the shoes they play in - the top of the handle should reach their hip. Then have them take their normal stance and play a slow backlift and forward defensive. If the toe drags or their posture changes to manage it, the bat is too big.
Should I buy Size 5 so they grow into it? +
No. A bat that is too big forces a tighter grip, a shortened backlift and bottom-hand dominance, and those become natural within two seasons. A bat slightly too small is far better - they will outgrow it either way, and what they keep is the technique they developed while holding it.
Should a Size 4 player use English willow? +
Not yet, in most cases. Kashmir willow is denser and more forgiving of mishits, and the response advantage of English willow needs consistent timing to be felt at all. Spending less on the bat also leaves budget for pads, gloves and a thigh guard, which matter more at this stage.
Does a Size 4 bat need knocking in? +
Yes, if it is a leather ball bat - four to six hours of mallet work on Kashmir willow plus light oiling, spread over two to three weeks. Junior bats are not exempt. Skipping it is the most common way a new bat is destroyed, at any size.
What protection does a Size 4 player need? +
Youth batting pads, Youth gloves, a thigh guard set and an abdominal guard. All four, not a selection. A child hit hard on an unprotected thigh learns to back away from the ball, and that becomes a technical habit coaches spend seasons correcting.
When should my child move up from Size 4? +
When the bat fails the fit tests as too small - the handle reaches their knee rather than their hip, and they look cramped taking a backlift. Check at the start of each season rather than assuming, because children grow in bursts rather than steadily.
Is a junior kit better value than buying separately? +
Usually. Our Future X1 Junior Kit is ₹8,999 against an MRP of ₹17,700 and contains the six items a young player needs, all sized together - which for a first purchase removes several chances to get something wrong. Check any kit you compare it with includes the thigh guard and abdominal guard.
Can you help me choose the right size? +
Yes. Send us your child's height, what cricket they play and which hand they bat with on WhatsApp, and we will confirm the size before anything is made. If they are between two sizes we will tell you which we would pick and why.
Related: the Size 3 guide, the full size chart from Size 1 to Long Blade, and the parent's guide to the whole kit.
Made in Meerut · Four bats from Size 4
Send us a height. We’ll confirm the size.
Academy Edition ₹4,499 · Legend ₹4,999 · Limited ₹5,499 · Player Edition ₹5,999 · Junior kit ₹8,999 with everything sized together · Youth pads, gloves and thigh guards, right and left hand · ₹500 now, balance on delivery