Oiling

Don`t over do it! On purchase give your cricket bat a light oiling on all areas except the splice. After this leave the bat in a horizontal position and do not touch it for two weeks. After that time, give the bat a very light sanding and a further light oiling (excluding the back this time). Leave in a horizontal position for a few days before starting the knocking-in process. Top grade bats should receive a further light sanding and very light oiling after stage 2 of knocking in (see below).

Knocking-In

Although the 2007 Matrrixx stock is 'pre-knocked in' your cricket bat is still made from a raw material and you can't give it enough attention and love!

For pre-knocked in bats we recommend about 4 hours of manual knocking in before reaching stage 4  below. For non pre-knocked in bats we recommend 7 hours before reaching stage 4 below.

The weakest part of the blade is the edge and knocking in should concentrate on this area.

Ideally there are 5 stages of knocking in before you can confidently take your bat to the middle or use for a full blown net session.These are listed below:

1. Using an old ball or preferably a bat mallet, starting gently, strike the bat to mimic a ball deflecting off the edge of the bat.
2. Increase the impact and continue until the edges have visible rounded.
3. Again with an old ball or mallet, work gently on the face of the blade.
4. Use the bat in a net session against older balls.
5. Finally, increase the hardness of the ball, perhaps with some throw-downs.

Bat Storage

Winter 
Willow has a natural moisture content and ideal storage conditions should allow natural absorption of moisture. An obvious comment you would think but bat breakage is often caused by poor storage. If you leave your bat in a warm, centrally heated room or next to a fire, it will dry out, go brittle and be susceptible to damage. If you leave your bat lying on a damp surface, it will absorb too much moisture and the toe will become swollen. The ideal place for a bat over winter is in a garage or shed with a sealed floor - this will provide sufficient but not excessive moisture. If the floor is not sealed, support the bat above the floor.

Summer
Temperatures in a car will reach a level that will dry out a bat as if it had been left next to a fire or radiator. Wherever possible, remove your bat from the car as soon as possible and store as per `winter care` above Depending on how often you are using your bat during the season it is worth giving it a light coat of oil to preserve the juice in the willow and to keep the fibres of the willow elastic from time to time. This will not only prolong the life of the bat but will enhance the ping.

Natural Damage

Whether your bat be of top grade English willow, Kashmiri willow, have wide or narrow grains, be fully knocked in or not, a cricket bat is a natural product. No-one can determine when or where your bat will `go`. While yorkers and outside edges are the most common instances where bat damage will occur, surface cracks will appear on all bats without affecting performance. It is always wise to take good care of your bat, helping to prolong it`s life as long as possible. It is a tool of the trade and it will not last forever.