Size 6 Cricket Bat: A Guide for ParentsThe most consequential junior size — because of what comes after it
Size 6 matters more than any other junior size, and not because of the bat. It is the last step before the largest jump on the whole chart — and it usually lands exactly when a player's technique is settling into what they will carry into adult cricket.
Who Size 6 fits
| Size | Height | In centimetres |
|---|---|---|
| Size 5 | 4ft 9in – 5ft 1in | 145–155cm |
| Size 6 | 5ft 1in – 5ft 4in | 155–163cm |
| Harrow | 5ft 4in – 5ft 6in | 163–168cm |
| Short Handle | 5ft 6in – 6ft | 168–183cm |
Many children around twelve to fourteen land here — and this is the age range where height varies most within a single school year. Children in the same class regularly need Size 5, Size 6 and Harrow between them. Age is close to useless as a guide at this stage.
Why this size matters most
Two things coincide at Size 6, and together they make it the size worth getting right.
1. It is the last step before the biggest jump
Look at the chart above. Every step up to Size 6 is roughly three inches of height and a few centimetres of bat. Size 6 to Short Handle is a far larger step — in length and, more importantly, in weight.
That is precisely why Harrow exists. It is not an optional extra size; it is a bridge across a gap that is otherwise too wide for a player at exactly the wrong developmental moment.
2. The technique is consolidating
A Size 3 player is learning to make contact. A Size 6 player is building the technique they will take into adult cricket — grip, backlift, stride, where their hands go.
Which means a bat that is too big here does not cost them a season. It costs them the habits they carry forward.
A bat that is too big forces a tighter grip, a shortened backlift and bottom-hand dominance. Those are structural compensations the body builds around the equipment, they become natural within two seasons, and undoing them means dismantling the compensation before rebuilding the technique. At Size 6 you are building on foundations rather than starting fresh.
Two minutes to check it
The hip test. Stand the bat vertically beside their leg, in the shoes they play in. The handle top should reach their hip. Knee or mid-thigh is too small; navel or chest is too big.
The stance test. Normal stance, slow backlift, slow forward defensive. Does the bat move freely? Does the handle catch the forearm? Does their posture change? Does the toe drag through the shot?
At this size the stance test matters more than at any earlier one, because a growing player often passes the hip test on a bat they cannot actually swing. Where the two disagree, trust the stance test.
What comes next — and why Harrow exists
This is the section worth reading before you need it.
When Size 6 becomes too small, there are two options, and most parents only know about one.
| Harrow | Short Handle | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 5ft 4in – 5ft 6in | 5ft 6in – 6ft |
| Step from Size 6 | Moderate | Large — the biggest on the chart |
| Right when | They are between sizes, or strength has not caught up with height | They pass both fit tests comfortably in one |
| Also suits | Adults under 5ft 6in — it is a legitimate adult size | Most adults |
Harrow is right when
- They are between 5ft 4in and 5ft 6in and feel cramped in Size 6 but awkward in a Short Handle
- They have grown quickly and their strength has not caught up — very common at this age
- The Short Handle fails the stance test even though the hip test looked fine
Skip to Short Handle only when
- They pass both tests comfortably in one — not just the hip test
- They can play a full backlift and a defensive stroke without their posture changing
The most common mistake at this stage is going Size 6 straight to Short Handle because the child had a growth spurt. Test both. Let the bat decide, not the birthday.
Which bat
All four Kashmir willow bats come in Size 6. Our English willow range is seven adult-oriented sizes and does not go down this far.
| Bat | Grade | Price | Right for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Edition | Grade 2 — denser cleft | ₹4,499 | Three or four net sessions a week |
| Legend Edition | Grade 1 | ₹4,999 | Mostly matches rather than nets |
| Limited Edition | Grade 1+ | ₹5,499 | Competitive age-group cricket. Widest Kashmir edges at 40–43mm |
| Player Edition | Player Grade | ₹5,999 | Middling the ball consistently in regular competitive cricket |
The grade question is the same as it was at Size 4 and 5. Higher grades are selected for performance rather than durability — a finer cleft is lighter and less dense, with less material to absorb the mishits a developing player still produces.
Move up when they are middling the ball regularly and playing matches rather than nets. A good season is not the same thing.
And all five profiles are free on every bat — at Size 6 a player usually has a clear enough scoring pattern for that to be worth matching. Our profile guide covers all five.
Youth or Mens protection?
Size 6 is where this genuinely stops being obvious, because hands and legs do not grow in step. Plenty of players at this size take Youth in one and Mens in the other.
| Item | How to decide |
|---|---|
| Gloves | Middle fingertip to wrist crease. Under 17cm takes Youth, 17cm and above takes Mens. Measure, do not assume from height. |
| Pads | Knee to instep, leg slightly bent. Then check the knee roll sits over the kneecap — that is the test, not overall length. |
| Thigh guard | Should not rotate when they run. If you are over-tightening to stop it, the size is wrong. |
| Helmet | Buy separately and have it fitted. At this pace it is the most important item on the list. |
All of it is handed — the protection is heavier on the top hand and front leg. Ask which hand they bat with, not which they write with.
And the bat needs four to six hours of knocking in on Kashmir willow, spread over two to three weeks, with at least thirty minutes on the edges. Add our preparation service for ₹1,000, or follow the guide together.
When to move up
When the bat fails the fit tests as too small. Then, and this is the part worth remembering:
- Test Harrow and Short Handle both, rather than assuming Short Handle
- Use the stance test, not just the hip test — a growing player often passes the hip test on a bat they cannot swing
- If either fails in the Short Handle, take Harrow. It might last six months or two seasons. Either is fine
The Harrow stage can feel like an unnecessary expense. It is considerably cheaper than a year of coaching to undo bottom-hand dominance.
Questions parents ask
What height is a Size 6 cricket bat for? +
Roughly 5ft 1in to 5ft 4in, which is about 155 to 163cm. That covers many children around twelve to fourteen, but age is a poor guide at this stage - this is the age range where height varies most within a school year, and children in the same class regularly need Size 5, Size 6 and Harrow between them.
What comes after a Size 6 cricket bat? +
Harrow, then Short Handle. Harrow exists precisely because the jump from Size 6 to a full adult Short Handle is the largest single step on the whole chart, in both length and weight. Skipping it is a common mistake and it happens at exactly the stage when technique is consolidating.
Should my child skip Harrow and go straight to Short Handle? +
Only if they pass both fit tests comfortably in a Short Handle - the handle top reaching their hip, and a free backlift with no change in posture. If either test fails, Harrow is the right step. The jump is large enough that forcing it produces exactly the compensations a correctly sized bat prevents.
Why is Size 6 the most important junior size? +
Because of what comes next. It is the last size before the largest step on the chart, and it usually coincides with the stage where a player's technique is settling into what they will take into adult cricket. A bat that is too big at Size 6 builds habits that outlast every bat they own afterwards.
Which bat should I buy in Size 6? +
All four of our Kashmir willow bats come in Size 6. For a player in nets several times a week, the Academy Edition at ₹4,499 - Grade 2 is a denser cleft and better suited to that workload. For a player middling the ball in regular competitive cricket, the Limited at ₹5,499 or Player Edition at ₹5,999.
Should a Size 6 player move to English willow? +
Not usually, and our English willow range does not go down to Size 6 anyway - it is seven adult-oriented sizes. Beyond that, higher grades of English willow are selected for performance rather than durability, which makes them the wrong tool for a player still mishitting regularly. The right time is when they are in a Harrow or Short Handle and middling the ball consistently.
How do I check a Size 6 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, if the handle catches their forearm, or if their posture changes to manage it, the bat is too big.
What weight should a Size 6 bat be? +
Light enough that they can swing it freely at full speed and still change to a different shot halfway through. There is no useful target figure - it depends on the player. If their hands drop through the stroke or they commit early because they cannot adjust, it is too heavy.
Does a Size 6 bat need knocking in? +
Yes - 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 at this size the bat is facing genuinely quick bowling. Spend at least thirty minutes on the edges, which is where most early failures start.
What protection does a Size 6 player need? +
Youth or Mens batting pads depending on the measurement, gloves, a thigh guard set and an abdominal guard - and a properly fitted helmet. At this level the bowling has real pace, and a player hit hard on an unprotected thigh stops committing forward for weeks.
Should I buy Youth or Mens protection at Size 6? +
Measure rather than assume. For gloves, middle fingertip to wrist crease - under 17cm takes Youth. For pads, knee to instep with the knee roll sitting over the kneecap. Many Size 6 players are in Youth for one and Mens for the other, because hands and legs do not grow in step.
When should my child move up from Size 6? +
When the bat fails the fit tests as too small - handle at the knee rather than the hip, cramped backlift. Then test both Harrow and Short Handle rather than assuming Short Handle. Let the tests decide, not a birthday or a growth spurt.
Related: the Size 5 guide, the full size chart including Harrow and the adult sizes, and the parent's guide to the whole kit.
Made in Meerut · All four bats in Size 6
Send us a height. We’ll tell you if it’s Size 6 or Harrow.
Academy ₹4,499 · Legend ₹4,999 · Limited ₹5,499 · Player Edition ₹5,999 · Five profiles free on every bat · Youth and Mens pads, gloves and thigh guards, right and left hand · ₹500 now, balance on delivery