CRICKET BAT SIZING CHART

The first step in choosing any bat is finding the right size, weight and brand
for you.

Cricket Bat Weight Conversion table

lbs. oz grams

2 lbs 7 oz 1100g

2 lbs 8 1/2 oz 1150g

2 lbs 10 oz 1200g

2 lbs 12 oz 1250g

2 lbs 14 oz 1300g

Next is the brand and the weight, we will leave that part to you. You should
choose weight and brand which you are comfortable with. We have bats in different
sizes and brands. Just tell us what you want and we will get it for you at a
great price.

So now we have chosen a bat. What can we do to get the optimum out of this
bat? Please read this document carefully .It will help you a long way in making
your bat durable and powerful.

OILING YOUR CRICKET BAT

The purpose of oiling your bat is to help prevent the wood from drying out and
becoming brittle, it also helps to soften and bind the surface fibres of the
willow during the knocking in process. By oiling the toe you are helping to
prevent water ingression that could lead to the toe cracking and the face peeling.
Before using your ‘NEW’ cricket bat apply one coat of raw linseed
oil to the face, edges and toe, using your hand or chamois leather. (A coat
of oil is a teaspoonful). Leave the bat face up for at least a day. Apply one
more coat of linseed oil same as before. Also apply one coat to the back of
the bat. Never apply too much oil as this will deaden the wood resulting in
very poor performance. You can be little more generous with the oil around the
toe area of your bat. However avoid oiling the splice area and the stickers
as the oil could loosen the glue. You have to use more oil on a Kashmir willow
bat than an English willow bat.

KNOCKING IN YOUR CRICKET BAT

This is the next process after oiling. You knock in using the hardwood mallet.
You knock in the bat to harden the edges, toes, and sides which will protect
you from damage from mis-timed shots. It also helps to develop the middle and
the sweet spot. Start by gently knocking and deflecting the mallet against the
blade paying special attention to the edges and toe area of the bat. Start with
15-minute sessions until you have reached a total of about three hours. Start
by swinging the mallet just with the wrist, progressing to full arm swings to
increase the impact. Always knock in from the front face of the bat, NEVER from
the sides or underneath the toe. It is most important not to forget the edges
and the front of the toe area, which will not need to be struck as hard as the
face.

PLAYING IN YOUR CRICKET BAT

After three hours of oiling use your bat with soft, old balls in the nets, examine
the face for seam marks. If deep seam marks are present, your bat requires some
more knocking in. Knock in for a further hour and repeat the gentle net session.
During these initial net sessions be careful and do not attempt extravagant
cross bat shots and slogs, as you are still testing your bat and damage can
happen if the bat is under prepared. Once no further deep seam marks appear,
your bat is ready for testing against newer, harder balls. Repeat the process
until no deep seam marks appear with new balls. At this point your bat should
be ready for match use.

REGULAR CRICKET BAT CARE

Never allow the bat, especially the toe to get wet. If you have used your bat
in rainy conditions, wipe off the water and apply a coat of oil. Keep the bat
always in cool moist conditions. Never store the bat in the boot of your car
because that may adversely affect the performance of the bat. If cracks appear
on the face or edges of the bat, sand them out and re-apply a light coat of
raw linseed oil to the sanded area. The face, edges, and toe of the bat should
be cleaned at least once a season with very fine sandpaper, prior to having
one coat of oil applied. If you play many games through out the season and are
likely to wear your bat quite often, then it is always advisable to have another
Cricket bat. Never use low quality balls or hard balls. They can cause irreparable
damage to your bat.

TYPES OF DAMAGES TO A BAT

A Cricket bat is made of soft wood which gives the bat the springy action. Think
about a cricket ball hurled at 100 miles per hour hitting this bat. Damage can
never be totally eliminated due to the hard nature of the ball and the speed
of contact with the bat. This is bound to cause damages and this is the reason
why no manufacturers guarantee their bats. Some of the normal types of damages
are listed below. The price of a bat does not have any effect on whether a bat
cracks or not. The best bats are usually more expensive, but liable to crack
more than cheaper bats because the willow is often softer.

Surface Cracking

Willow is a soft fibrous wood, which makes it ideal for cricket
bats, but it will crack. The grains will naturally open slightly over time and
with use. Use of low quality balls, misuse, wrong storage and inadequate oiling
and knocking in can cause this. If you start finding these cracks, use a fine
sandpaper to remove dirt build-up. This allows the bat to breathe more easily.
Then very lightly, apply a coating of linseed oil onto the hitting areas of
the blade, which moisturizes and extends the life of the blade. Let the bat
lie horizontally overnight. Also use an anti-scuff sheet to prevent surface
cracking.

Split Cracks

Other cracks and indents will also occur, especially with mis-timed
shots, edges and hits on the toe. Cricket bats are designed to hit the ball
10-20 cm up from the toe and in the middle of the blade. Failure to do this
could result in damage to the toe and edges of the bat which is not the result
of a fault in the bat. Edge and toe damage is usually inevitable but is usually
the fault of the batsman and not the bat. If you do not prepare the bats correctly
as explained earlier, the bat will be weak and dry and it can cause breakage
of face. Only way it can be repaired is applying super glue and taping the bat
with adhesive tapes around the crack. Cracks can appear on the toe of the bat
when dealing with Yorker deliveries and you can use the same superglue process
to deal with it. Cracks to the edges of the bats are caused by mis-hits. These
can be dealt with by using superglue and taping as explained above.

Handle and Splice Damages

The section about an inch above the shoulders is
the weakest point. This can break very easily when a ball is driven with the
toe due to the excessive amount of strain in the handles. You can even feel
it in your hands when playing that kind of shots. Usually the front section
of cane is fractured or disoriented. The handle would need to be replaced, best
done by a manufacturer of bats or a bat repairer.

RARELY IS A BAT MAUFACTURED UNFIT FOR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT WAS INTENDED.
IT IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BAT AFTER IT LEAVES THE FACTORY THAT MATTERS

If you have any further questions or concerns please contact
us