CE vs CW Cricket Wicket
Two invaluable wickets that are definitely worth their price.
A. CW Professional Cricket Match Wicket Set
Price
The CW wicket costs around ₹ 1,799.00, a very low price for a quality wicket. It is also fairly easy to obtain since it available most of the time in online shopping websites.
Materials
The wicket is made using quality materials: wooden stumps, wooden bails, and a heavy duty iron spring stand. The stumps are made of Ash wood, the same wood used to make the stumps in professional league games. This gives it strength to withstand bowl-after-bowl. The bails are also made of wood though the type is not specified.
The base is made of iron, providing a firm foundation. The springs also make this wicket sensitive to hits: a strong-enough hit to the stumps will cause them to fall backwards and dislodge the bails.
Size
The stumps have the correct measurements as stated by the Laws of Cricket: 71.7cm long and a diameter of 3.73cm. Even the bails have the proper measurements: 10.95cm long with the barrel, short spigot, and long spigot having measurements of 5.40cm, 3.49cm, and 2.06cm long respectively.
Best Suited For
This type of wicket is best suited for club, practice, and casual games. However, it can also be used in bowling practice - just as long as you don’t hit the stumps directly with a throw as fast as 120kph because you will surely destroy it.
B. CE Rhino Cricket Spring Back Cricket Stump Set
Price
The CE wicket costs ₹ 1,800.00 which is also a reasonable price for a quality-calibre wicket. This wicket could be one of the cheapest, high-quality wickets available on the market.
Material
The stumps are made of PVC plastic, ensuring that they are strong enough to withstand direct hits at low speeds and light enough so that they don’t add that much weight to the wicket itself. The bails are made of local, unspecified wood. They are light enough so that a direct hit to the stumps will cause them to fall.
The base of the wicket is made of cast iron, giving it rigidity and strength. There are no springs on this model so the stumps are standing on their own; they are assisted by a few grooves in the base so that they don’t fall backwards all the time even when not hit.
Size
Despite being made from PVC plastic, the stumps have the proper measurement: 71.1cm long with a diameter of 3.62cm. The bails, too, have the proper measurements: an overall length of 10.95cm with the barrel, shorter spigot, and longer spigot measuring 5.40cm, 2.06cm, and 3.49cm respectively.
Best Suited For
This wicket is best suited for practice matches, casual games, club tournaments, and non-professional leagues (school tournaments, neighbourhood matches, and other similar ones). The wicket can also be used in bowling practice, helping you perfect your technique. Just remember that the stumps need to be hit a bit harder than usual to get the bails to fall. You can also use a leather ball with this wicket.
C. Overall Comparison
Both wickets are definitely worth their price, so choosing one is a bit of a challenge. However, the CW wicket has an advantage - the spring system. It helps the bowler know just how hard he should hit the stumps to knock the bails off. But then again, if the bowler gets used to these kinds of bowls and plays in the professional league, the strength at which he bowls may be insufficient.
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of preference. The spring system can prove helpful or not.