Cricket Bat Maintenance & Repairs

PREPARATION FOR PLAY

We recommend the following principles for the preparation and maintenance of cricket bats. Following these procedures will significantly reduce the possibility of damage occurring.

OILING

All natural faced bats MUST be treated using raw linseed or a specialist cricket bat oil. The main purpose of oiling is to maintain moisture levels within the blade, and hence reduce the chances of cracking and splitting.

Light coats should be applied to the face, edge, toe and back of the blade - taking care to avoid the splice area. Generally, two coats should be sufficient. Each coat should be allowed to dry into the blade in a horizontal position before the next is applied

Do not over oil

Do not leave the bat in a vertical position after oiling

KNOCKING IN

All bats are pressed, however "knocking in" is VITAL. This is the process by which the fibres of the willow in the face and edges are compressed together to form a barrier, which protects the bat against the impact of the ball. Effective "knocking in" will significantly improve the performance and increase the lifespan of the bat.

STAGE ONE

The "knocking in" process should be undertaken carefully, using a special bat mallet or an old, quality cricket ball. The bat should be repeatedly struck in all areas where one would normally expect to hit the ball, particular attention should be given to the edges, although the edges and the toe should not be struck directly at right angles to the blade, we offer a stage one knocking in service with every bat we sell and offer the service for any bat you may already have.

STAGE TWO

The next step is to play the bat in, graduate to use the bat to hit short catches with an old quality cricket ball, however if the seam marks the blade, we recommend manually knocking the bat with a mallet for at least an hour.

Once these steps have been taken the bat should be ready for use, it is advisable to avoid use against a new ball or indoor nets where poor quality, or excessively hard cricket balls are often used which can be the cause of many types of crack damage

MAINTENANCE

Whenever possible we would recommend fitting an anti-scuff sheet this does not negate the requirement to knock in the bat. The cover may assist the durability of the bat, but under no circumstances will it totally prevent surface damage.

TYPES OF BLADE DAMAGE

Surface cracking to the face of the blade through general wear and tear, cracks will not affect the performance of the bat

Surface cracking to the edge of the blade through general wear and tear, cracks will not affect the performance of the bat

Surface cracking to the toe of the blade through general wear and tear. This type of damage is often caused by the striking of a "yorker" and or excessive tapping of the crease, cracks will not affect the performance of the bat, toe damage can also be a result of using the bat in damp or wet conditions it is a good idea to fit a toe guard to bats to avoid these problems.

Fortunately, most of the damage listed above is repairable and we offer a full range of repairs and refurbishment including bat re-handles.