Why are our clefts the most sought-after in the World?
In a competitive global market, the demand for English Cricket Willow remains high. For decades, JS Wright & Sons has earned the trust of the world’s leading bat makers. Why do customers consistently tell us that our clefts are the most sought-after in the world? We believe it’s a commitment to quality, fairness, and the long-term success of our partners… all of which help define The Wright Way.
Quality of grading: absolute consistency
We have the most robust quality control standards in the entire industry. Every cleft is graded individually twice, once when freshly sawn and again when fully dry. To maintain complete consistency and eliminate variability, only two highly experienced individuals are authorised to grade dry clefts. This meticulous process ensures when a cricket bat manufacturer orders a Grade 1 cleft, it meets an absolute, unchanging standard. This is a crucial promise we make to every customer.
Customer care: your success is our success
Our grading standards go beyond technical compliance; they are rooted in fairness and partnership. If a cleft is marginally between one grade and the next, we always down grade it. Why? We do this to ensure there is enough ‘up-lift’ (profit potential) in the bat-making process. We want our customers to make a profit and be successful, because when they thrive, we grow with them. This is the foundation of our long-term client relationships.
Drying expertise: ahead of the competition
Drying timber is an art form that directly impacts the final performance of the bat. We possess the best cleft driers and expertise in the world, putting us far ahead of our competitors. This is about more than investing in modern plant and machinery; it’s about the precise settings and nurturing expertise developed and refined over the past 50 years to achieve the optimum performance from the willow.
Fair pricing: supporting the whole game
We are committed to giving a fair price for every grade of willow. Beyond that, we actively subsidize the market: more than 35% of what we produce is sold below cost. This deliberate business decision is intended to help keep the prices of lower and middle-grade bats accessible in the shops. Our goal is to ensure the game remains affordable, supporting new and club players and ensuring a thriving ecosystem for our manufacturing customers.
The JSW Standard
The quality, consistency, and fairness detailed above is the value we provide every day. Our commitment goes deeper than towers of carefully graded clefts and extends to the future of the entire English Willow trade.
Click to read more about what the Wright Way means to us.
