How to Look After
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The effective life of your bat depends mainly on how thoroughly it has been knocked-in, but there’s no point in doing this until the bat has been properly oiled with raw linseed oil. Water is one of your bat’s biggest enemies, as willow loses and absorbs moisture very easily, so the object of oiling is to maintain the bat’s moisture content by sealing its surface. This can take three or four weeks to do properly, so be prepared.
Of course, this excludes parts of a cricket bat covered with polyarmour or scuff covers. Using a soft rag, apply a light coat of oil to all exposed willow, apart from the splice which should never be oiled.
Keep the bat horizontal for a couple of weeks, then lightly sand the surface with very fine sandpaper (00 grade). Repeat the process, after which the bat is ready for knocking in. After this, a rub with an oily cloth every two to three weeks will keep your bat in top condition.
Many junior players over oil their bats, which can be disastrous – its better to not oil at all. Knocking in compresses the fibres of the willow so that they resist damage from a cricket ball. The best tools for this are an old ball or a bat mallet, and the process should take at least 6 hours.
The most vulnerable parts of the cricket bat are the toe and the edges, so concentrate on them. Some manufacturers claim that their bats are pre-knocked-in and ready to play, but this is never the case – another couple of hours work is still needed to bring a bat to peak performance.
Then, gradually introduce your bat to a cricket ball, first hitting gentle catches with an old ball, then nets with an old ball, then nets with newer balls.
Protection for your cricket bat
So, you’ve chosen your new bat and carefully oiled it and knocked it in, but how do you protect it from the wear and tear caused by hitting a fast moving cricket ball? The best way is by “facing” it with a thin, adhesive, polyurethane sheet on the edges and hitting area.
But, this has been controversial - one view says that facing can affect a bat’s performance by reducing its “ping” and increasing its weight, whereas others say that facing a bat can protect it and prolong its life. Both views have merit but fortunately, the modern thinner and lighter facing materials are a vast improvement on the older heavy, thick and spongy types. The best bat makers in the world now support the use of high quality facing materials, and many of them supply new bats which are ready-faced.
Having tried both methods, I have to agree with this view – I currently use a faced Gunn and Moore bat which has now performed excellently for three years, which is much longer than its uncovered predecessors. As the faced part of the bat won’t receive any bat oil after it has been covered, its wise to apply an extra very thin coating of oil to the facing area before fitting the covering. Make sure that the oil has soaked in completely before applying the facing – leaving it outdoors (but undercover) will help the oil to soak in.
The uncovered areas can be oiled normally after the facing has been applied. During application, smooth the facing from the centre of the bat outwards to remove any air bubbles. Every two years, peel the facing off sideways across the bat, give the bat a light sanding and fresh oiling, then fit a new cover.
Keeping your cricket bat in top condition
Your cricket bat will reward you with a long and useful life if its properly oiled, knocked-in and faced. But, here are a few more tips and wrinkles that will help to keep it in good shape.
• Don’t let it dry out - a hot car boot can be your bat’s worst enemy, especially during a hot cricket season. Always store it in a cool, dry place.
• More bats break during practice than in matches. Old, cheap practice balls are very hard – especially composition ones, or those used by bowling machines. If you have a choice, use an old bat for practice and save your best one for scoring runs.
• Keep your bat dry – moisture is a big enemy, especially in the toe region. OK, rain happens during cricket matches, but if your bat does get wet, dry it as soon as possible. Fitting a toe guard will make a big difference.
• If you don’t like your dismissal, don’t throw your bat – they’re not designed to fly or break furniture. Its just possible that your bat wasn’t the reason for you being out anyway!
• Give it a good service after every season. Remove any facing, give it a light sanding, repair small cracks with superglue or wood glue, give it a light oiling then replace the facing.
The only other advice is – do use your bat to score lots of runs!
Getting kitted out for the new season, or simply looking for new cricket gear? Why not check out my tips on buying cricket helmets, cricket bags, cricket shirts, cricket shoes and cricket balls.
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