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Devon County Sports

Cricket Bat Care Guide

Here at Devon County Sports Ltd we take great care in selecting only the very best Cricket bat for you. To ensure you get the maximum performance from your new Cricket bat we have compiled the following bat care guide for you.


PREPARATION


Before use, one coat of raw linseed oil (a coat is a teaspoon full) should be gently applied to all exposed areas of the wood, excluding the splice area. The bat should then be carefully knocked in with an old leather ball or a bat mallet. Initially gently round off the edges and toe area, then move onto the face of the bat, this needs to be done until indentations cease to be made when the blade is hit. This may cause some hairline cracks to appear which in no way affect the perfomance. You can now move on to using soft, old balls with controlled hitting.  Gradually progress to newer balls. Avoid bowling machine practice until the bat is well knocked in. An Accurate time frame can not be put on this process, however the greater time spent knocking in, the greater the likelihood of a long lasting bat.


MAINTENANCE


The blade of the bat should be periodically cleaned down with fine sandpaper and then a thin coat of oil should be applied to keep the surface pliable and prevent the oiled bat from drying out. Ensure however that the bat is not over oiled as this leads to a deadening of the bat and reduction in performance (as a rough guide, apply no more than three further coats per year) A bat with Anti-scuff fitted to protect it during the initial knocking in process will require the cover to be removed midway through each season and oiled to prevent the bat drying out.


WINTER STORAGE


At the end of each season your  bat should be cleaned, lightly oiled and stored in a cool, dry location away from direct heat as this may lead to drying out of the bat and therefore making it brittle and susceptible to future damage.


DAMAGE


If the ball strikes the edge or toe of the bat with sufficient force  heavy impact damage may occur. Water damage to toes can also cause cracking. Yorker, edges or excessive tapping at the crease will cause aditional damage that is not covered under warranty. Despite the elements, the major cause of excessive damage is cheap cricket balls that are so hard and have such high seams, no bat maker can protect against them.