Condition
8
10: New
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor
|
Rarity
9
10: Impossibly rare
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller
– – – – – – – – – – –
About This Racket
When I was growing up it was a huge day to visit Lillywhite’s flagship store in London’s Piccadilly Circus spread over 6 huge floors. Of course it was horribly expensive for a teenager and I usually just looked with eyes wide open! Later they opened a slightly less impressive store in Nottingham which was a still an event. I had no idea they produced their own rackets (or rebranded them) since 1930 and they would have been way out of my budget at the time so I never looked at the top shelf!
In 1946 they made the KingCaft and in the 70s released the Lillywhite Froud Model DeLuxe mini-series of rackets including University and Dominion. I do not fully understand their but-cap logo but it suggests to me that these rackets were made by Donnay
Specifications
Measurements | Value | Performance | Score |
---|---|---|---|
Weight | 360g | Power | 19/100 |
Head Size & Length | 65sq in | 27inch | Control | 41/100 |
Balance | 5pt head heavy | Spin | 40/100 |
Grip | Perforated leather | Handling | 78/100 |
Strings | 18 x 20 | synthetic | Comfort | 89/100 |
Flexibility | RA 43 | Consistency | 59/100 |
About Lillywhites
Lillywhite, Frowd & Co, a prominent supplier of sporting equipment, has a flagship store in London’s Piccadilly Circus, established in 1925. The business was founded in 1844 by Frederick William Lillywhite, who played in 237 first-class cricket matches between 1825 and 1853. Frederick utilized his reputation to start trading cricket equipment from his home and published Lillywhite’s Handbook of Cricket.After Frederick’s death from cholera in 1854, his sons continued the legacy. John established the first Lillywhites store in 1863 on London’s Haymarket, selling cigars and cricket goods. His nephew, James Lillywhite, who captained England twice and umpired six tests, took over in 1879, renaming the business John and James Lillywhite & Co. By 1882, John’s name was dropped, and in 1885, the firm became Lillywhite, Frowd & Co.Lillywhites expanded their product range to include golf clubs from top makers like Anderson, Auchterlonie, and Forgan. They also had special agencies for Mills aluminium clubs and exclusive rights to Cuthbert Butchart V-groove spliced woods. The business grew renowned for quality products, with their ‘No. 5’ football selected for the 1866 London v. Sheffield match and the Ivy League adopting the ‘No. J’ football in 1886.By the early 20th century, Lillywhites had moved to Piccadilly Circus and further expanded with stores in major UK cities like Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Nottingham and internationally in Kuwait. They championed Lonsdale and Slazenger.
Sadly the decline began when Sports World owned by Michael Ashley, acquired Lillywhites and foolishly transformed Lillywhites into a discount store, losing its royal warrant in 2003, a symbol of its prestigious past. The store now prominently features products from Ashley’s brands, such as Donnay, Slazenger, Lonsdale, and Dunlop, all largely devalued.