Cricket Bat Preparation Prior to Use

OILING (not applicable to "polycoated" bats, or bats which have factory fitted "antiscuff")
Natural faced bats benefit from a light coat of bat oil (raw linseed) applied sparingly to the face, edges and toe of the blade which should be left in a horizontal position overnight to dry.

Do not over oil as this can be detrimental - 2 light coats will be sufficient.

KNOCKING-IN
This is absolutely vital! It will improve performance and increase the lifespan of the bat. A knocking-in mallet should be used to repeatedly hit the face of the blade covering all areas a cricket ball would be expected to strike.

This should be done gently at first and then with gradually increasing force to simulate a match situation. If a solid blow produces a dent in the blade this indicates that further conditioning is necessary.

The knocking-in process should take at least 4 hours and probably longer for an expensive bat as they are likely to have been "lightly pressed". When you consider the bat to be ready for use please spend another hour or so to condition the edges (i.e. 2cms of the face adjacent to the actual edges) as they are the most vulnerable part of the bat.

The next step is to use the bat to hit short catches using an old ball, and finally have a couple of nets to get used to your new bat. Under no circumstances should a bat be used in match play less than 2 weeks following purchase.

BAT CARE HINTS
Do not keep your bat in a centrally heated house - it will dry out and become brittle! The best place is in the garage which will be cool (NB - a slightly damp atmosphere is better than central heating). Fitting an antiscuff sheet is recommended to give protection from minor knocks. Some players add an extra layer of fibre glass tape down each edge,

A "glue-on" toe guard can be fitted to help lessen some of the problems associated with this vulnerable area.

PLAY PROPERLY - DO NOT SLOG!!
Bats are designed with their "sweet spot" in the middle of the blade, 5" to 8" from the bottom. This is the thickest part of the bat and the part you should be aiming to hit the ball with.

All players mistime their shots occasionally and this is no disgrace but it must be accepted that a badly miss-hit shot will cause damage - especially to the edges, toe and shoulders which are the thinnest parts of the blade and consequently more prone to damage. Problems in these areas are rarely due to manufacturing, or material faults and therefore it is not reasonable or justified to expect a replacement.

Be wary of playing in damp conditions. If the toe of your bat gets wet it will swell up and on drying out is likely to develop small splits across and under the toe. If you have to play in wet conditions try to keep the toe off the ground.

AVOID HARD BALLS!
In recent years there has been a trend for some unscrupulous ball manufacturers to produce very hard balls which can cause serious damage to good bats.

Clubs and leagues are now demanding balls which will last for several games without going out of shape and are of course cheap! These types of ball are available and contain very solid centres but WE DO NOT SELL THEM!