Oiling

• A new bat with a natural blade should have at least two light coats of oil to the face, edges, toe and back. This should be applied by either a soft rag or your finger. Care should be taken that oil does not reach the splice or handle. When oiling a bat there should never be puddles of oil on the surface of the bat, always wipe away any excess oil immediately. The knocking in process should commence after the second application of oil. Only raw linseed oil or special wax should be used.
• If no anti-scuff facing or extratec are adopted then during the playing season the face and edges of the bat should be given a rub down with some fine sandpaper and given a light oil as stated above every 3 to 4 weeks.
• No bat should stand in oil; best results are achieved by more applications of light oiling than by one application of lots of oil.
• There is a much greater danger from a bat being over oiled than under oiled. Over oiling adds the chances of the wood starting to rot.

Knocking In

A new bat, irrespective of the finish should be knocked in carefully and with patience. This is best done by a bat mallet and hitting the blade repeatedly in all areas where the ball would be expected to make contact, paying special attention to the front edges.

The knocking in should start off lightly and progress to harder hitting as you near completion. It is not sufficient to play a few gentle ‘throw downs’ in the nets or back garden. Take time and your bat will give a better performance and be less likely to suffer damage. Your cricket bat is ready for use after oiling and approximately 6 hours of knocking in for a brand new bat.

For pre-prepared bats a shorter time of at least 1 to 2 hours is recommended. You can tell when your bat is fully knocked in and ready for play when there are no visible markings occurring from the use of a leather ball e.g. seam marks.