Bat Care and Repair

All our cricket bats are made from English Willow (Salix Alba Caerulea), which requires preparation before it can be used to strike a cricket ball.

 

To begin with, all bats are pressed during the production. This pressing gives a degree of conditioning to the bat and also enhances the ‘drive’ (or power) of the bat. Our CMR cricket bats are custom pressed, meaning our bat maker will assess each cleft and determine how much pressure must be used to optimise the drive and durability of each specific piece of willow.

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Despite the initial pressing, it is vital that once purchased every the cricket bat is conditioned further before first use to make it more durable for the best possible performance - this process is called ‘knocking in’.

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Knocking in is a very important part of the bats preparation, during which new bats are repeatedly struck using either a wooden mallet or an old ball to enhance durability and promote ‘drive’. The recommended duration of the knocking in process is for a minimum of 6 hours or the equivalent of 20,000 ‘knocks’. The best routine for this is to work on the bat in lines, up and down the face of the bat, working from the toe to the top (before the splice) and from the outside edge to the centre.

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All natural faced bats must be treated using raw linseed or a specialist cricket bat oil. The main purpose of oiling is to maintain moisture levels within the blade, therefore reducing the chances of cracking and splitting. However, you should be wary of over oiling your bat as this can be as damaging as applying too little oil!

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Light coats should be applied to the face, edge, toe and back of the blade - taking care to avoid the stickers or logos and the splice area.

After application, allow the bat to dry. After 24 hours remove any oil that has not be absorbed using a very fine sand paper (+180). give the face of the bat a light sanding and then reapply a light coat of oil to the face only.

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Irrespective of the brand or finish of a bat, superficial face and edge marks will almost certainly appear, together with indentations or bruising of the natural willow. This happens especially when 'poly type' coverings have been used, when the covering (a man-made material) does not react in exactly the same manner as willow (a natural fibre). In these circumstances there is no need to worry or be concerned as the durability and performance of the bat will be unaffected.

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Like all natural materials it is to be expected that the condition of the bat over time will deteriorate during its usage. During the life span of a cricket bat, they will all crack given that a natural piece of wood is struck repeatedly by a fast moving object.  It may be worth considering to either use fibreglass tape on the edges of the bat or an anti scuff sheet with cricket fibreglass tape down both sides to help protect the face and edges of a cricket bat.

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Continue to look after your bat throughout its life by keeping care of it in a bat cover and safely in your cricket bag when not being used.