SACHIN'S INCURZA CLUB v1.0 ENGLISH WILLOW CRICKET BAT.

PLEASE NOTE:Sometimes the bat develops superficial cracks due to softening of wood due to oiling & knock in treatment.These cracks in no way hamper the performance of the bat but double strengthen the willow due to oil intake thru them, once the oil dries up.

Cricket bats are made of willow. It is to be expected that the condition of the bat will deteriorate during its usage.

Irrespective of make or finish of a bat, superficial face and edge marks will almost certainly appear, together with indentations or bruising of the willow.In these circumstances there is no need to worry or concern as the durability and performance of the bat will be unaffected.

Almost all bats complaints that come to us are by worried and sometimes ill-advised customers, which are not due to manufacture but merely reactions of willow.

 PREPARATION FOR PLAY
Bargain_Dealz_4U  recommends the following principles for the preparation and maintenance of cricket bats. Following these procedures will significantly reduce the possibility of damage occurring.

  OILING
All natural faced bats MUST be treated using raw linseed or a specialist cricket bat oil. The main purpose of oiling is to
maintain moisture levels within the blade, and hence reduce the chances of splitting.

Light coats should be applied to the face, edge, toe and back of the blade - taking care to avoid the logos and the splice area.
Generally two or three coats should be sufficient. Each coat should be allowed to dry into the blade in a horizontal
position before the next is applied 

ALTERNATIVELY - It is possible to fit a clear Anti-scuff or similar cover.
This does not negate the requirement to 'knock in' the bat.
The cover may assist the durability of the bat, but under no circumstances will it totally prevent surface damage.

   KNOCKING IN
All bats are pressed, however 'knocking in' is VITAL. This is the process by which the fibers of the willow in the face and edges are compressed together to form a barrier, which protects the bat against the impact of the ball. Effective 'knocking in' will significantly improve the performance and increase the lifespan of the bat.

Stage one
The 'knocking in' process should be undertaken carefully, using a special bat mallet or an old, quality cricket ball. 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. This would be likely to cause damage.

Stage two
The next step is to graduate to the use of the bat to hit short catches with an old, quality cricket ball. However, if the seam marks the blade, it is necessary to return to 'Stage one' for a further conditioning.

Once these steps have been taken, the bat should be ready for use in matches. It is advisable to initially avoid use against the 'new ball'.

WARNING: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A BAT BE USED IN MATCH CONDITIONS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS FOLLOWING THE DATE OF PURCHASE

  THE WORST THING A PLAYER CAN DO

• Over Oil the blade.
• Endeavor to wash it clean with water.
• Constantly tap the bit in the crease on a wet wicket, thus saturating the base of the bat, causing the pressing to lift and the base of the bat to swell and generally crack horizontally.
• Use it without Knocking in' or treatment
• Continual 'edging' thus causing bruising and unnecessary indentations.
• Hit 'Yorkers' on the toe of the blade, thus denting and bruising the willow causing it generally to split horizontally but completely through the bat. This is more likely to happen on indoor, hard or synthetic wickets, or at the beginning of the season when the ground is very hard.
• Using cheap cricket balls (especially those with hard centres) which bruise and dent the willow. Many bats are dented due to this reason.