Cricket Bats
Choosing the Right One for You

Cricket bats are available with a wide range of features, and choosing one is a very personal decision.

Finding the Right Balance

Of all these features, size and “pick-up” or “feel” are particularly important. The motto is, there are no right or wrong bats, just the one that feels right for you.

The top of the bat handle should reach the top of a player’s thigh, allowing him to take guard with his weight evenly balanced on both feet, and with his eyes level facing the bowler. See this bat size guide for details.

However, the ease of “pick-up” of a bat while batting is more important than its absolute weight, and depends on both the bat size and how the weight is distributed around the blade. Different batsmen prefer different “pick-up”, so its important to get the feel of several bats before making a choice.

Pick-up affects bat control, which must be exercised only by the batsman’s “top hand” on the bat handle – this is the left hand for a right handed batsman. If he can’t play strokes with his top hand alone then the bat is too heavy; his technique will suffer and frustration will follow. It's particularly important for junior batsmen to avoid this, so that they learn the right technique and enjoy batting.

Bat Technology

Other features affecting a bat’s performance and balance are slight curvature of the bat face to bring the point of impact with the ball below the batsman’s eyes, and bat handle technology and varying handle thickness that gives each model a different feel and flexibility.

Cricket bats are made of willow, a soft fine grained wood. Look for 7 or 8 straight grains in the willow across a bat’s face for the optimum sensitivity and durability. Fewer grains are more durable but less sensitive, more grains are more sensitive and less durable.

Before use, “untreated” new bats need oiling lightly with raw linseed oil, then, “knocking in” with an old ball or a bat mallet, to compress the fibres of the willow on the face and edges in preparation for hitting a hard cricket ball.

However, many new bats are now pre-knocked in and oiled, with a clear anti-scuff cover applied to face and edges to improve durability. Another addition might be a rubberised toe guard, to prevent damp seeping into the willow. These extras are good news for all players, especially young ones who will be keen to use their new bat as soon as possible.

Most cricket bat manufacturers use a star rating system to indicate the quality of a bat – the more stars, the better the quality of the willow and/or the level of technology of the bat.

Taking care of your new cricket bat

Once you've chosen your bat, its vital to look after it. Cricket bats hate two things in particular - moisture and central heating. If any piece of wood gets wet, its liable to split or warp, and cricket bats are no exception.

The motto is, make sure your bat is dry before you put it away, either after any innings or at the end of the season. This way, you'll avoid an unwanted surprise next time you want to use it.

But, a less obvious problem is central heating - or any other form of room heating. For many years I wondered why my bat seemed perhaps a little harder or even lighter at the start of a new season, often followed by a fatal crack in the willow on impact with a new cricket ball.

Then, a wise cricketer suggested that the best place to keep a bat over the winter is in an unheated space - perhaps a garage, loft or shed. That way, your heating system won’t dry out your bat.

The best routine at the season’s end is to clean the bat face with fine sandpaper, then give it a rub with a cloth bearing a little raw linseed oil in preparation for next season. Then, store it in an unheated space for the winter. It works for me!

There's more to bat care than storing it safely. The old saying goes, look after your cricket bat and it will look after you. This is true, as you can do much to prepare a new bat and to maintain an old one so that it performs well for more than just one season. So, check out these top tips and wrinkles on how to look after your cricket bat.

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.

Return from Cricket Bats-Choosing the Right One for You to Cricket Equipment