With our 30 years experience in the cricket bat industry, we hope that you find all the details below with our advice on how to buy a bat online, how to prepare it for use (Knocking In) and how to look after it during its lifespan, really helpful. A cricket bat purchase is a considerable investment in your game, so hopefully our help and advice and your due care and attention to looking after it along the way will keep it performing well and bring you lots or run scoring enjoyment.
Lets look firstly into what the manufacturers term "Knocked In" means. Cricket bats that are classed as pre-knocked in means that they are part prepared in the factory, including oiling, pressing under a roller and some hand mallet knocking in to achieve a good balance between performance (ping) and durability against early life cracking and dent damage.
We still recommend some further knocking in with a bat mallet around the perimeter of the face of the bat and some gentle net practice against an older, softer cricket ball before full match use. Immediate play with your bat regardless of any manufacturers pre-treatment is not advised. A minimum of 14 days pre use knocking in preparation is considered as a reasonable time period especially before full match use and may affect your after sales warranty if not adhered to.
The raw materials used in making a cricket bat are all naturally grown and not man made. A good bat is produced by craftsmen and their aim is to combine excellent hitting power and performance (ping) with durability. The combination is not always, if at all easy. Softer pressed bats tend to “go better’ with more "ping" but are more likely to crack. The harder pressed bats last longer but often hitting power is compromised. The bat makers aim is to strike a balance between the two to make the best all round cricket bat possible.
Knocking in your cricket bat can be defined in three step by step stages. We have pulled the following notes together in conjunction with Kookaburra, one of our top 3 cricket bat suppliers. The 'knocking in' process should be undertaken carefully, using a special bat mallet or an old, quality cricket ball. All bats are factory pressed prior to hitting the shop shelves, however 'knocking in' is vital. This is the process by which the fibres of the willow in the face and edges are compressed together to form a barrier, which protects the bat against the impact of the ball. Effective 'knocking in' will significantly improve the performance and increase the lifespan of your cricket bat.
Step 1
Start with a little linseed oil. Generally two or three light coats should be sufficient. Each coat should be allowed to dry into the blade in a slightly elevated horizontal position from handle down before the next light coat is applied. All bats are pressed, however 'knocking in' is vital. The bat should be repeatedly struck (with gradually increasing force) in all areas where one would normally expect to hit the ball, this conditioning must be performed with patience. Particular attention should be given to the edges, although the edges or toe should not be struck directly at right-angles to the blade as this would be likely to cause damage. This stage should take in the region of six hours, although it may vary as every bat is different.
Step 2
The next step is to graduate to the use of the bat to hit short catches with an old, quality cricket ball. However, if the seam marks the blade, it is necessary to return to 'Stage one' for a further conditioning. This stage should be performed for at least another hour
Step 3
Once these steps have been taken, the bat should be ready for use in the nets against an old soft cricket ball. Ideally play in a defensive manner and avoid genuine fast bowling. If the seam of the ball marks the face of the bat resume the ‘knocking in’ process.
Selecting the right bat
As a family run cricket business, with cricket in our veins we understand the importance of the pick up and feel of a bat. All bat makers and batsmen alike agree that this is far more important than the dead weight of the bat. With careful attention to balance, a bat maker can produce even say a 2' 11 or 2 '12 bat with a very light pick up weight. For this reason we give a weight range indication for all bats that we stock and grade them from light, medium or heavy where applicable to a particular bat. This enables you to select the exact bat you are looking for by selecting from the drop down lists that we provide with each bat.
About Willow Grades
We hope following notes, put together with the help of some of the best UK bat makers will help you understand the characteristics of a cricket bat and guide you in the right direction in your decision making process of choosing a new bat.
Most bats are made from English Willow which by nature is a soft fibrous wood, with a “honeycomb” type cell structure. It is perfect for the manufacture of cricket bats because of its natural moisture and its ability to be pressed in the manufacturing process to give great ball striking qualities. Starter and particularly smaller Junior size bats tend to utilise lower priced Kashmir Willow, this is harder with more closed up fibres and therefore more resilient but generally gives less ball striking satisfaction. Our Willow grading guide is set out below :-
English Willow Grades
Grade 1 plus - G1+.... the very best of English willow, often reserved for the manufacturers own Pro Players and utilised in such bats described as Limited Edition, Ultimate, SPS or Pro-Performance. Unbleached with straight even grains and absolute minimal marking or discolouration in the face.
Grade 1 - G1 - top quality English Willow, used in such bats described as Pro, Original, Premier or Players. Good straight grain structure and unbleached with minimal marking or discolouration in the face.
Grade 2 - G2 - Unbleached English Willow with some irregular grain patterning and some minor blemishes and possible reddening in the blade.
Grade 3 - G3 - Usually unbleached English Willow with irregular grain pattern and some marking and discolouration in the blade.
Grade 4 - G4 - English Willow usually bleached and often non oil with a covering to the face of the bat.
Grade 5 - G5 - Usually bleached English Willow with irregular grain pattern and some knots in the surface
Bat Damage and Warranty
In the notes below, with assistance from G&M, Gray-Nicolls, SF Stanford, Newbery and more we will endeavour to explain what you can expect from a cricket bat and which type of damage is normal and to be expected and when a cricket bat will need to be sent back to us for a closer look and investigatory inspection. In general terms our bats have a manufacturers 12 month warranty from the date of purchase against manufacturing or material fault.
Firstly, it is important to remember that cricket bats are made from willow, a soft fibrous wood which gives excellent rebound qualities when hit with a hard leather ball. The downside to this is that it can crack, split and dent. This can happen at any time, but usually most cracks appear right from the outset when the wood is still soft and not fully compressed. For this reason, we always recommend knocking your cricket bat in with a wooden bat mallet, particularly around the edges of the face and toe area where the wood is most vulnerable from mistimed shots and "Yorkers" (where the player jams the bat between the ground and the toe/bottom edge of the bat). The longer you can knock a bat in and use it in the nets gently with an older ball, the less likely your bat will crack during the first few weeks of use.
Also, it is important to remember, that the idea that the more expensive the bat, the longer it will last is certainly not the case as more expensive bats are prone to more damage because they are graded for top performance and rebound meaning the wood is even softer and more susceptible to damage. However, there is no way to ever eliminate cracking and you should expect cracks and dents to appear on your bat throughout its use.
Below are some typical pictures of small cracks and handle damage.
If damage is similar to the above two on the left, where the crack has not gone through to the back of the bat, then this is perfectly normal and is nothing to worry about. It will not affect the performance of the bat in any way. It is purely visual and the bat can be used without any worry at all. Even if you think it may get worse, you should still continue to use the bat as in the majority of cases, the damage will not deteriorate to the point where the bat is unusable. If the handle has worked loose like the two images to the right, we will re-handle the bat free of charge it is is less than 12 months old.
We recommend oiling your bat once a year and applying a clear anti scuff sheet which will help retain the oil and prevent the cracks from spreading. Cracks around the edges and toe should be taped with fibre bat tape. Linseed oil, bat tape and anti scuff can be found on the bat care page of our website under bat accessories. Please keep your eye on the toe of the bat, wet and dampness is one of the worse things that could cause problems, if there is no toe guard or the guard drops off then treat with varnish or a layer of glue to protect.
Occasionally, bats may genuinely break, across the face either or a split through the toe. In this case the bat will become unusable and feel "dead" when you bounce a ball on it. Below are some photos showing this kind of damage.
If your bat resembles any of the damage above, then it will need to be sent back to the bat maker for inspection. If this is within 6 months of purchase then a free of charge repair (if that is possible) or a replacement will be offered. Bats purchased outside of this period can either be repaired for a small fee or at our discretion, we may offer a discount off another bat if the bat is less than 12 months old.
If you feel that a bat you purchased from us within the last 12 months is genuinely broken, the please email us some pictures and we will be able to advise you if we think a return is necessary.
