Banni Bat Ball Aduva! Family from Jalgaon Craft Bats for Cricket Buffs
Mangaluru: It’s safe to say that, of all the sports played in India, cricket is, by far, the most popular. Cricket has been the past time game here, and see young and the old play this game, either with a hard ball or rubber ball (tennis ball). With the summer holidays approaching in the nearest future, where most of the students will be engaged in outdoor activities, one thing for sure, many will be playing Tennis Ball cricket to pass their summer vacation. And a family from Jalgaon-Maharashtra have landed in Mangaluru right in time, to craft cricket bats to cater to the needs of Cricket buffs here.
This family of skilled craftsmen along with their family folks have set up a camp near KPT (next to the Petrol Bunk on the highway), where they craft different kinds and sizes of Cricket bats, with price ranging from Rs 100- Rs 400. These bats come in various sizes and colours, and there are bats even for tiny tots. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Jaidev said, “Ours has been cricket bats making business for the past 50 plus years. Our bats are used only to play with rubber or tennis ball, and not the hard ball. We use the finest wood, which will make your bat last longer. While crafting these bats we make sure they are balanced with right curvature and grip for a smooth and right swing.”.
“We only use the wood which comes from a special tree named ‘Chivan’, which is mainly found in Gujarat. Bur recently the Forest Dept. of Gujarat has regulated the harvesting of Chivan, but we can also get the wood from Maharashtra, and our community has been planting these trees in our areas. We were supposed to come down to Mangaluru at the end of 2016, but due to non-availability of wood, we had to postpone our trip. Business has been good so far here, with Mangaloreans supporting us in buying our products. We want to stay here until monsoon starts, then we’ll head back to our hometown” added Jaidev.
He further said, “A few local cricketers have advised us to set up camps in other towns like Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia, and other villages where cricket is a popular game among the people there. We are yet to decide on that since we want to cater our bats to the needs of Mangaluru cricket buffs. Many have given their phone numbers and also contacts of cricket clubs where we can supply our unique bats. As of now, we are happy with the sales that we are doing per day, but we were hoping for better sales”. So all you cricket buffs, if you are looking for bats to suit your choice, visit this Jiagaon family camped on NH near KPT. Have a Happy Cricket game with these bats!
