The F Plus Taimoor Mirza Edition Tape Ball Cricket Bat is the signature bat of the biggest name in tape ball cricket. Built by F Plus from treated Sri Lankan coconut wood, it pairs a wide 4.7in blade and thick edges with a one-piece full-cane handle.

Tape ball is a different game to hard ball, and it needs a different bat. This one is shaped for bat speed and reach: a large forgiving middle, a long 35.5 to 36in blade for leverage, and a pick-up quick enough for the wrist work and late hitting that tape ball rewards. Every bat here is individually photographed, so you choose the exact one.

F Plus Taimoor Mirza Edition specifications

Why coconut wood for tape ball

Coconut press is the standard for serious tape ball bats, and for good reason. A taped tennis ball does not need the density that stops a hard ball, so you do not need willow — what you need is a blade that stays quick in the hands and keeps rebounding shot after shot. Treated coconut wood does exactly that, and it holds up to repeated impact without denting the way cheap softwood bats do after a couple of games.

Blade width, length and sweet spot

At 4.7 to 4.75 inches the blade is wider than a standard hard-ball bat, which is legal in tape ball and gives you a bigger margin for error on a ball that swings and skids off concrete. The 35.5 to 36 inch length adds leverage and reach, so you can get to the ball wide of off stump and still hit through the line.

Handle and pick-up

A one-piece full-cane handle keeps the bat feeling solid through the shot without deadening it, and the multi-textured rubber grip holds in hot hands and damp conditions alike. Want a second grip on top? Add one above and we will fit it before dispatch.

Taimoor Mirza and F Plus

Taimoor Mirza is the best known tape ball cricketer in Pakistan, and this is the edition built around his spec and carrying his branding. F Plus have been handcrafting tape ball bats in Sialkot since 2017, and the Taimoor Mirza Edition is their flagship line.

Tape ball bats and hard ball bats are not interchangeable

This is the question we get asked most in the shop. A coconut press bat is not built to face a hard cricket ball and will be damaged quickly if you use it for one. If you play hard-ball cricket, you want English willow or Kashmir willow instead. Plenty of players keep one of each.

No knocking in required

Unlike English willow, a coconut press tape ball bat needs no preparation at all. No linseed oil, no knocking in, no scuff sheet, no drying time. Take the wrapper off and play.

Who is this bat for?

• Tape ball and tennis ball cricketers who want a proper bat rather than a toy
• Players who want reach and a wide blade for hitting through the line
• Anyone playing street, park, indoor or floodlit tape ball
• Anyone who wants to choose the exact bat before it ships

Buy the F Plus Taimoor Mirza tape ball bat in the UK

Crystal Sports is an independent cricket shop in Luton, Bedfordshire, stocking F Plus alongside the wider tape ball bat range. Order online with tracked UK delivery, or visit Unit 2, 200 Dunstable Road, Luton LU4 8JL to pick it up and feel it first.