OILING
Oiling is essential for cricket bats. It stops the willow from drying out and greatly reduces the risk of cracking. When first purchased, natural-faced bats should be lightly sanded with 150 grit sandpaper to remove polish and then lightly oiled (10 cent coin worth of oil) with cricket bat oil or linseed oil all over the face and the toe using a soft rag or your finger (do not apply oil to the splice as it can weaken the glue).

KNOCKING-IN
When you knock-in a cricket bat, you compress the fibres of the willow and knit them together. This gives the bat the strength it needs to withstand the impact of a cricket ball.

Every cricket bat needs to be “Knocked-In”. Some cricket bats claim to be “pre-prepared” in the factory, but this does not mean that the bat is ready for use. A pre-prepared bat will have been oiled, pressed, and lightly knocked-in by hand, but it will still need a minimum of 2-hours knocking-in before it can be used. Bats that are not pre-prepared will need even longer (around 5 to 6 hours).
The more thorough the knocking-in process, the less chance there is of your bat breaking.

The 'knocking in' process should be undertaken carefully. Knocking using a special bat mallet or an old, quality cricket produces best results but may require lots of time and patience. 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.

PROTECTIVE/ANTI-SCUFF SHEET
Alternatively you have the option of applying a protective sheet which will help guard against general wear and tear. After one season the protective sheet should be removed (slowly across the grain) and lightly sanded and oiled. A new protective cover can be re-applied once the bat has dried out sufficiently.
If you have bought a bat with protective sheet, less oiling is required, as these bats are able to retain their moisture.

If you are not sure about how much oil to apply, simply ask one of our experienced staff members or bring your bat into one of our stores for some professional assistance.

TOE PROTECTION
For those bats that don’t have Toe Protection already fitted, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to support the longevity of your bat & greatly reduce the chance of toe damage. Toe Goo or Hard Toe is the recommended form of protection.

OUR COMPLIMENTARY BAT PREPARATION SERVICE
All English Willow bat purchases from Sydney Cricket Store includes complimentary basic bat preparation service:

• Oiling: We apply 2 coats of oil. We aim to “rest” the bat 24 hours after each coat is applied.
• Knocking-in: Roll the edges and toes by hand and do hand knocking on the uncovered part of the face of the bat.

Ideally, bat preparation requires 2-3 days to allow for 2 coats of oiling. If the bat is required in less than 2 days, we will only apply 1 coat of oil.

• Protective Sheet: we supply or apply protective/anti-scuff sheet on the bat.
• Toe Protection: if the bat does not come with a factory fitted toe guard.