| Cooper Cricket began as a simple idea - a desire to take life in a different direction. My name is Rod Grey, and I founded Cooper Cricket in Townsville in 2011. Cricket has always been in my blood, from playing the game throughout my childhood and into adulthood.
Life took its course: I became a signwriter by trade, had a son, met an amazing woman, got married, and welcomed a daughter. Through it all, cricket remained a constant, whether I was playing, coaching my son’s teams, or travelling across the east coast of Australia to watch representative games. Everything in my life seemed to revolve around cricket.
Although I enjoyed my work as a signwriter, it no longer fuelled my creative passion as it once did. Around that time, a few people in Townsville were either making or importing cricket bats, and I realised that this could be my way to create something unique in the sport I loved. And so, Cooper Cricket was born.THE NAME
When it came to naming this cricket business, I struggled to find the perfect fit. I was feeling creatively stale, but a conversation with a friend sparked some new ideas. The advice was simple: the name had to be personal and truly meaningful.
At the time, my wife and I were hoping to have another child. Although we didn’t end up falling pregnant, we were content with our two wonderful kids. If we had had a baby boy, we would have named him Cooper. The name "Cooper Cricket" had a nice ring to it, and I could instantly envision the design in my mind.WE GOT LUCKY
In 2013, our lives took an unexpected turn when we discovered that our daughter, just three years old at the time, had a tumour the size of a tennis ball at the base of her brain... damn! Life came to a sudden halt, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.
We are the lucky ones. Our daughter’s brain tumour was successfully removed by the incredible Dr David Anderson in Townsville. Exceptional medical care in Townsville and Brisbane has meant that whilst our daughter has faced some challenges, she leads a very normal life. She is bright, funny and loves life - a blessing we don’t take for granted.
This experience was a wake-up call, reminding us just how short and unpredictable life can be. It was one of those pivotal moments when my wife and I took a step back to reflect on what we truly wanted from our lives. Neither of us was particularly enjoying the day-to-day grind of our jobs, and we knew something had to change. When my wife asked what I wanted to do, I told her I wanted to make cricket bats. I’m pretty sure she thought I might be going crazy, but that’s when the dream of Cooper Cricket really started to take shape.REALITY CHECK
When I first started learning how to make cricket bats, I was incredibly naïve. I remember visiting the J.S. Wright & Sons website, the largest supplier of willow in the world, and seeing that they offered beginner kits. I thought it would be as simple as sending an email to order some clefts of willow... how wrong I was!
I quickly received an email that shattered my assumptions. They informed me that, no matter how many clefts I wanted, they would never supply me with English willow. Instead, they provided a list of cricket bat makers in India where I could order ready-made bats, slap my own stickers on them, and - voilà! - that’s how you start a cricket brand.
To me, that approach seemed completely backwards. I was determined to create something authentic, not just sell someone else’s work under my name. So, I embarked on what turned out to be an expensive and frustrating journey. I got ripped off by overseas suppliers who either sent me subpar cricket bats or, in some cases, didn’t send anything at all!
But like many challenges in life, if you persevere long enough, you might just find what you’re looking for - and eventually, I did. That experience taught me the hard way that the road to building something genuine is never easy, but it's always worth it.SHOP ONE
In 2015, we took a significant step forward by opening our first commercial workshop in Townsville. It was a scorching hot space, but it marked an important milestone - finally moving out of the garage and into a proper workshop. This was also the beginning of our journey into CNC technology, which allowed us to speed up production and improve precision.
At this stage, we were making over 100 cricket bats per year and had just placed our first major shipment of soft gear. Alongside our bat production, we were also handling a lot of local bat repairs in Townsville, building a solid reputation within the community.THE BIG MOVE
Our son was a talented youth cricketer in Townsville, and when an opportunity arose for us to move to Brisbane in 2017 for the final term of his Year 10, we knew it was too good to pass up. The catch? We had just three months to make the move! With little time to spare, we decided to take the plunge.
We knew this decision would turn our lives upside down and make things tough for the family for a while, but it also brought us closer to the specialists who would continue to monitor our daughter’s progress after her tumour. For our son, it was a great challenge - one he faced head-on with a fantastic attitude.
For Cooper Cricket, however, the move meant that everything would have to come to a halt until I could set up shop again in Brisbane. It was a daunting prospect, knowing that the business would be on hold, but we believed in the potential of this new chapter. It was a scary time, but the move also represented a new beginning, both for our family and for Cooper Cricket.SHOP TWO
Our second shop was located in Pinkenba - a decision that, in hindsight, wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t the best location, but at the time, it was all we could afford. We set up the shop, and it looked fantastic. On the very first day, we sold a cricket bat - BOOM! It felt like we were off to a great start.
However, the excitement quickly faded as the months went by with minimal sales. We did manage to secure some bat repair work, including repairs for the Greg Chappell Cricket Centre and many individual customers, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to keep the shop afloat. The reality hit hard - I needed to find a job. Cooper Cricket was limping along, and with heavy hearts, we packed everything into storage, uncertain of what the future held. We kept the website online, just in case we managed to sell some of the remaining gear.
It was during this challenging time that one of our now long-term overseas suppliers reached out to us. They offered to help with the supply of English willow, a lifeline that gave us a glimmer of hope for Cooper Cricket’s future.THE STORAGE SHED (SHOP THREE)
It turns out there were still people who wanted what we were offering. Although I had to stop doing the repairs for Greg Chappell Cricket Centre due to the demands of working a full-time job, individual customers continued to seek me out for repairs. Who would have thought I could run a workshop out of a tiny storage shed? It was far from ideal and incredibly awkward to bring customers into, but clearly, there was a need for the work we were doing - no matter how crazy it all seemed at the time.
I can’t remember being home much during this period. Between working full-time, fixing cricket bats late at night or in the early mornings, and on weekends, life was hectic. I even had a small printer at home for making cricket stump wraps. Those were crazy times, but they showed me that there was still demand for our craft, even in the most challenging circumstances.SHOP FOUR
Not far from home, I found a small commercial shed that was part of a larger industrial spray painting business. It was a decent little space and much easier for customers to visit compared to the cramped storage shed! While I was still working full-time and dedicating every available hour after work to repairing and making cricket bats, little did I know that three major events were on the horizon: a massive signage job, the onset of COVID-19, and the arrival of Josh Brown.HERE WE ARE
We are producing more cricket bats than ever and continually striving to improve our processes. It’s been a fantastic journey so far, and we’re excited as Cooper Cricket continues to grow, expanding our reach across Australia.
At Cooper Cricket, we’re dedicated to making the best cricket bats possible - not just for professional cricketers, but for every player who walks into our store. Whether it’s an 8-year-old just starting out, a 16-year-old aspiring to go pro, or a 20-year-old balancing a full-time job with serious cricket ambitions, we’re here for the players.
Our goal is to provide the best cricket bats, the best support, and the best gear for everyone.
We love what we do here at Cooper Cricket, and we’re grateful for your interest in our journey. We’ll continue updating this About Us page so you can stay up to date with us. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Cheers,
Rod Grey, Owner |
