Bat care

---

Oiling stops the willow from drying out and therefore greatly reduces the risk of cracking.  If you are buying a covered bat, or one fitted with an anti-scuff sheet, there is less oiling needed as these bats are able to retain their moisture – but please don’t overlook the exposed areas around the edges and toe of the bat.  

For natural faced bats, apply a light coat of linseed, or specialist bat oil, to the blade and edges, using a soft rag or your finger.  You can also oil the back, but this isn't essential.  Be careful not to oil the splice, handle, stickers and never stand the bat in oil.  It is also very important not to over oil the bat as this can increase the weight and cause ‘wood rot’.  Indeed, under oiling is better.  

Once the oil is applied, leave in a horizontal position – bat face up – so the oil can soak through the blade.   Allow the bat to stand for twenty-four hours.  Covered bats can then move on to the “knocking-in” stage, while uncovered bats will need to be oiled again at least once (but we would recommend twice), repeating the process exactly..

We recommend you use either a ball or wooden cricket bat mallet, as this enables you to have greater control during the knocking in process.
 

The knocking in process could take approx. 6 hours depending on how soft the willow is. However, if applying extratec then the knocking in process shouldn't take longer than 4 hours.
 

Start the knocking in process initially by hitting the mallet against the blade firmly, but not hard, with the pressure being increased after an hour. After 2 hours the mallet can be hit reasonably hard against the blade.
 

Make sure all areas of the blade not covered by stickers are knocked in equally and similarly.
 

During the knocking in process the bat should be oiled at least twice more. We suggest this should happen after 2 hours and 5 hours, making sure you sandpaper the blade first before applying the oil

Do not use the "hitting" end of the mallet to knock in the edges. Instead, use the handle of the mallet to roll, prepare and harden the edges. A stump or similar rounded edged item can also be used for this purpose.
 

When rolling the edges start at an angle closest to the blade gradually working out to where the angle will become 90 degrees. Repeat this process during the knocking in period, increasing the pressure each time.
 

After knocking your bat in, we suggest you use it in the nets first, using an old ball, before using it with a new ball in a match.

The bat needs to be knocked in thoroughly to ensure that all of the wood fibers are compounded and pressed together to reduce the possibility of cracking and improve performance. You can buy a top of the range bat and break it in no time if you are careless or lazy about knocking it in.

EZZA Cricket has the ability to use a machine dedicated to knocking in cricket bats with effective precision for superb consistency and never any missed spots. There is no proof that a hand knocked in bat is better than one that is knocked in by machine. Quite the contrary, the machine delivers more speed, precision, power and efficiency. The problem with humans knocking in cricket bats is that they are inherently lazy and will often use the term " thats good enough ".