The playing life of your bat relates directly to the preparation, maintenance and care of the bat throughout its life. Manufacturers will not accept responsibility for misuse and for that reason the correct method of "CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF YOUR CRICKET BAT"; should be followed.

Cricket blades are made from a soft fibrous piece of willow. Each blade possesses its own characteristics and requires individual attention to obtain the optimum performance from the bat. It is essential that a bat is thoroughly 'KNOCKED IN' for a period of time prior to hard match use to allow the willow to develop its maximum strength and sweetest feel. Our Bat Pressing Machine will help with the 'Knocking in process' but this should not be treated as the complete preparation. Special attention should be paid to the protection of the toe area.

You must expect surface cracks to appear with normal use. This is not normally caused by faults in the willow and does not constitute a warranty claim. These potential problems can be minimized by the application of protective films such as Extratec to the face and edges and by using Shoe Goo at the toe of the bat.

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(A) Insufficient preparation

(B) Cheap cricket balls are normally too hard.

(C) Dampness (see comments below)

(D) Edging the ball repeatedly.

Bats are designed to hit the ball 12-20cms above the base of the blade & in the centre. It must be expected that failure to do this will create problems. Repairs can be made to many bats suffering damage. It should be noted that problems occurring through the above causes are not normally the responsibility of the manufacturer.

TO AVOID DAMPNESS

The toe of cricket bats are proned to absorbing moisture so it is important to use sealant materials such as Shoe Goo or Marine Varnish to prevent swelling. It is advisable to use these sealant materials as a preventative rather than a cure.

When the toe of the bat swells as a result of dampness there are two methods used to rectify the problem.

1. Place the face of the bat in a wood working vice, being careful to cushion both sides of the blade to prevent unnecessary denting. Leave the bat to dry in the vice.

2. Allow the wet area of the bat to dry normally. Once dry, use a bat or ball mallet to knock out the swollen area.

After a period of use, the bat may start to show signs of dryness making some of the surface cracks protrude. When this occurs, just give the bat a light sanding, removing the excess dirt build-up. Then, very lightly apply a coating of oil onto the hitting areas of the blade. Allow the bat to lie horizontally overnight after oiling. By removing the excess dirt off your bat & by giving the face an extra coating of oil, you have allowed your bat to breathe which in turn extends its life span.

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What does a bat warranty cover?

The warranty offered by manufacturers is only the goodwill between all bat manufacturers that results in a replacement or a cost free repair on a bat which has suffered damage believed not to be the customers fault.

There is definitely no warranty on bats with surface damaged edges or toes.

A bat is designed for the ball to be hit within the sweet spot of the blade. A shot resulting in damage to the toe or edge of the bat is the users fault. The manufacturer requires a receipt or proof of purchase to qualify for a warranty claim. Warranties DO NOT cover:

DAMPNESS playing in wet conditions can result in layered cracks and swelling at the base of the bat.

FACE & EDGE CRACKS these cracks are not the result of defective willow or faulty workmanship. Their appearance is accentuated by inadequate preparation prior to subjecting the bat to hard use.

PREMATURE PLAY any evidence of premature use or abuse of a bat removes the chances of a warranty claim.

HEAT DAMAGE extreme heat dries out English willow causing it to become tinder dry and more likely to crack. Be wary of leaving your bat in the interior or boot of cars or lying on the ground in the sun.

EARLY SEASON USE

a cleanskin bat should be carefully re-oiled prior to use after drying out in the cupboard or gear bag during the off season. Otherwise the dried out blade is particularly susceptible to surface cracks.

WHAT IS KNOCKING-IN

Knocking-in is the process by which the fibres of willow in the face & edges of a bat are compressed & knitted together to form a strong outer resistance and a barrier to the impact of a cricket ball.

This is best done by using a Ball Mallet or Bat Mallet, a ball in the hand is not hard enough.

The knocking-in process should be done carefully & thoroughly. To a large extent, the effective life of your bat is determined by the knocking-in process. You are attempting to make the face & edges harder than when the bat was purchased to minimize the damage from an edged stroke. The toe area of the bat should be faced carefully as there is a risk of causing cracks or splits across the base of the bat if struck too hard. We recommend protection of this area with sealant materials such as "shoe goo".

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It is important that at least 6 full hours be spent patiently knocking in the face & edges of your bat. If it has been machine prepared, we suggest that the 6 steps outlined below should still be followed.

6 Easy Steps:

If your bats finish is natural you must oil prior to knocking in.

1. Use a bat or ball mallet or even the edge of the bath tub. A ball in a sock or hand is of little use.

2.Use the mallet like a hammer and deflect it gently off the edges & centre, the way a ball might in a game.

3.Increase the force gradually until the blow is as hard as a ball hits in a game, work the edges until they show a rounded, compacted appearance.

4. To test the firmness of the bat, press firmly on the edge with a rulers edge positioned between the thumb and index finger. If an indentation appears your bat is not ready for match use.

5. Use the bat in the nets against old balls, then test it against newer balls. If there are seam marks & dents STOP GO BACK TO STEP 3.

6. If the bat shows no signs of indentations or seam marks, use it in nets sessions and then use it in match conditions.

Each bat is an individual piece of willow with its own characteristics. One bat may require minimal preparation but another may need many hours of patient preparation. This cannot be determined until the bat has been tested by hitting cricket balls. If the ball leaves indentations, more preparation is obviously necessary.

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Surface cracks are small cracks which will appear on all bats after a period of use.

Their appearance on NEW bats is a direct result of the willow being underprepared i.e.

i) the bat has not been oiled properly

ii) the bat has not been knocked-in properly

iii) the ball used is of low quality and is too hard (e.g. some Indian leather balls).

The knocking-in period is vitally important in minimizing surface cracks.

Surface cracks do not harm the bats performance and all bats will eventually have some surface cracking. The aim of knocking-in a bat is to delay these cracks for as long as possible.

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1. Glue any parts of the blade where willow is ålifting and clamp with string or wood working clamp. Use any PVA water based glue and ensure the area is free from oil.

2. Sand back the glued area once it is dry using medium grade wood working sandpaper.

3. Apply Extratec/ Heatshrink/ Fibreglass tape/ Fibreface.

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Cracking at the toe of the bat is always caused by hitting balls at the base of the bat. Sometimes this is unavoidable & therefore it is wise to take precautions. We strongly recommend the application of Shoe Goo to the toe region of bats to prevent any such problems.

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Our professional Bat Press was introduced successfully last season. We are delighted with the benefits gained from the use of this pressing machine in the initial facing process of cricket bats. This Bat Press is recommended by cricket bat manufacturers and will eliminate hours of manual preparation.

IMPORTANT: Even after a bat has been through this process, care should be exercised prior to subjecting the bat face and edges to hard use. This should not be treated as a full preparation.

TIME INVOLVED:

To have a bat oiled with 4 coats and pressed by our machine - 3-4 days. To have a bat pressed only - 1 day. (Polycoated, pre-oiled or covered bats). We can apply an extratec coating to a natural finished bat to give an effective protection as an alternative to oiling your bat.

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