SODBURY PAVILION –
CHIPPING SODBURY

About us

JAMES Rendell has had many a batsman caught up in a spin as current and former team-mates across the West Country will testify.

Now the 28-year-old former Gloucestershire CCC Youth and England Schools starlet is aiming to bowl the public over with a brand-new local sports shop specialising in cricket and running equipment.

Sodbury Pavilion has opened in Chipping Sodbury at 3 Mitre Mews on the town’s High Street (see contact details below for full address) and Rendell is braced to hit the public for six when it comes to his wide array of bats, gear, accessories and clothing, everything the cricketer and running enthusiast could wish for to enhance their game.

And there’s a special ten per cent discount on offer for anyone who clicks on to his website www.jrbats.com, selects a product, clicks on the ‘checkout’ link and inserts the password sporty1 into the appropriate box!

James, a prolific off-spinner these days with Chipping Sodbury CC, takes particular pride in his own brand of cricket bats which have already proved a winner with professionals like Glamorgan’s ace all-rounder Adam Shantry. James enjoyed ten years at the top of West Country cricket, including a stint as Knowle captain, and even played football for Yate Town!

He explained: “Having pros like Adam endorsing our goods is a massive coup for us and it’s a real privilege knowing he uses our bats and gear in the first-class game.

AMBITION

“As a young player I would get frustrated at the enormous cost of buying equipment, with cricket bats alone costing up to £300, and it became my ambition to provide a very competitively-priced local service for cricketers and runners who love both sports as I do.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have mingled with greats such as Courtney Walsh and Jack Russell during my Gloucestershire days, and ten years with Knowle playing alongside local legends such as Steve Windaybank really brought my game on.

“The experience I have gained has given me a great insight into exactly what fellow cricketers want from their equipment, be it our bats, gloves, pads, helmets, balls, footwear and clothing. And we have the facilities to embroider and provide team kits and tracksuits.”

James, whose brother John Rendell is a well-known goalkeeper on the local football circuit with Paulton Rovers, Mangotsfield United and currently Bitton among his collection of clubs, added: “I’m living the dream of running my own sports business specialising in cricket and running.

“Our cricket bats contain the logo JR Bats and they are all hand-crafted English willow, offering players the very best in modern-day equipment. “We are also distributors for Tildenet Ltd, which means we can sort just about anything for anyone wanting anything to do with the beautiful game – cricket!”