GM Rival Cricket Bat

The GM Rival is an English willow cricket bat range designed for players who attack the game with speed, precision, and intent. Built for competitive cricketers who look to dominate from the first ball, the Rival combines aggressive styling with a profile engineered for powerful stroke play.

Available from the flagship ORIGINAL L.E. through to 404, the range caters to club and competitive players across multiple levels of the game. Its low swell, F2 face, Powerarc bow, and substantial toe depth create explosive pick-up, clean power, and a large, forgiving hitting zone.

Product specifications

• Material: English Willow

• Bat Grade: ORIGINAL L.E. / ORIGINAL / SIGNATURE / 909 / 808 / 606 / 404

• Blade Length: 555mm

• Handle Length: Short Handle (SH)

• Handle Material: Treble spring multi-piece cane

• Face Profile: F2

• Country of Manufacture: United Kingdom

The GM Rival Cricket Bat combines powerful shot-making with a responsive, well-balanced feel, giving players the confidence to attack while maintaining excellent control. It produces clean, consistent ball striking across the blade and performs reliably through both front-foot and back-foot play, while the Apex Grip provides a secure, comfortable hold for confident handling throughout an innings. 

Across every grade, the Rival retains the same proven playing characteristics, with higher-grade models offering an increasingly refined feel and more consistent response at impact.

Who is the GM Rival Cricket Bat for?

• Competitive club cricketers who play attacking cricket and want a bat built to score quickly

• Aggressive, boundary-focused batters who favour a free-flowing swing and fast pick-up

• Players who prefer a low-swell profile and strong performance on front-foot and through-the-line shots

• Batters seeking clean, consistent power on full deliveries and attacking strokes

• Club cricketers ready to step up from Kashmir willow to a genuine English willow match bat

• Junior and developing players, with Harrow and junior sizes available

• Multi-format players competing across T20, one-day, and longer-format cricket

FAQs

1. What is the difference between the grade options on the GM Rival?

The Rival range spans seven grades, from ORIGINAL L.E. down to 404. Higher grades use more carefully selected willow, providing improved responsiveness, consistency, and feel. Mid-range grades such as 808 and 606 offer excellent performance for regular club players, while 404 provides an accessible entry point into English willow cricket bats.

2. What size options are available for the GM Rival?

The Rival is available in Short Handle (SH) for adults and in Harrow, 6, 5, 4, and 3 for younger and developing players. Harrow is generally suited to players around 13-15 years old; sizes 6, 5, 4, and 3 suit progressively younger age groups.

3. What is the Apex grip and how does it differ from other GM grips? 

The Apex grip is GM's peak performance grip, introduced in 2026 specifically for the Rival range. It provides a firmer, more secure hold under pressure than rubber alternatives, reducing bat movement in the hands during hard hitting.

Speed. Precision. Ruthlessness.

The Rival doesn’t play to participate – it plays to win.

Every detail in the Rival’s design is engineered for impact. Its bold chequered-flag livery is a statement of intent – fast, aggressive, and built to dominate from first ball to last.

Crafted for players who play on the edge, the Rival delivers high-performance output through a low swell profile, explosive pick-up, and a shape that thrives under pressure. This is a bat for competitors – not passengers.

No hesitation. No looking back. The Rival is Built To Win.

The Rival also features a new Apex grip, delivering traction and peak grip performance when it counts most.

One of a host of 2026 English Willow bats that carry a striking new design, the Rival features the traditional L555 blade length, a low swell, and a clean, powerful profile tailored for boundary-hunters.