About us

27 years in the sports trade, 22 years of handcrafting top cricket bats and I still love what I do.

My name is David Phillip van der Walt and sport has always been a huge part of my life. As a junior I played four different sports at provincial level, and 2 at SA level. I was always fortunate enough to have parents and a school that encouraged and supported me with equipment and tour fees.

As a senior I played 3 provincial sports, one of them being cricket. After my National service, I worked at LF Palmer sports in  Johannesburg, for ex-Springbok cricketers John Waite and Syd Olynn.  Through them, I was privileged to learn a great deal about the sports trade.

I then moved down to Cape Town and worked for Ian Trott at Varsity Sports – another specialist sport shop.

In 1994, I spent my first of many summers in the UK and Ireland as a cricket pro at various Clubs.  On my first trip, I completed an apprenticeship at Hunts County Bats.  I will forever be grateful for being taught all aspects of bat making and repairs from a group of very experienced staff.

On my return to Cape Town in 1994, I started a business called Bat Man. This company brought in a range of pads and gloves branded with my initials, DP.

I have made and repaired cricket bats for a huge number of International cricketers over the past 15 years.  It is always  good to meet and shape bats for international players, but I find it exceptionally rewarding to see a youngsters expression when I complete his FIRST CUSTOM MADE CRICKET BAT.

Black Widow Cricket Bat Making - Full version
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