We are big fans of looking after your cricket bat.
We’ve already told you how to knock-in your bat – now we want to tell you ways you can damage or even ruin your cricket bat without even thinking about it.
It’s a long list, but if you are doing any of these, please stop immediately.
BAD TIMING
OK this one is a tough one to put in there. No one intentionally mis-times it, but when the bat twists and you get a leading edge or even hit the back of the bat, it does a little bit of damage.
THAT TEMPER
This one is totally in the realms of your control. You got out. Darn. Now it’s time to get over it. It’s not your bat’s fault that you didn’t play straight. Tuck the bat under your arm, walk off the pitch and put your trusted steed back in to your bag, ready to use again next week.
STUMP BASHER
We all did this as kids. Some adults still do it. Please stop. Hitting your wooden stumps with your wooden bat face will do nothing but damage. It might be effective, but it will be hugely damaging. If you must, use the end of the handle to knock the stumps in the ground. Or get stronger.
RAIN STOPS PLAY
Get the game on! We are fully in favour of playing cricket in dreary weather, but let’s be sensible. Playing in heavy rain will damage your bat.
PROTECT THE BLADE
We strongly encourage you to put your cricket bat inside a bat cover when you pack it in your bag. If you don’t, you run the risk of your cricket spikes or other pieces of equipment knocking against the bat and causing issues.
DODGY BALLS
If you play cricket with poor quality cricket balls, you will eventually do damage to your bat. These poor balls are hard and unforgiving, and will crack or split your cricket bat – particularly if it’s new.
CREASE TAPPER
We are big fans of having a personal routine when batting. Checking your pads, adjusting your gloves, hitting the bat on the ground as the bowler runs in. The last one can be bad for your bat, however. If you are playing on a particularly hard pitch, or an indoor surface, you should try to adjust your routine to save your bat – either tap the ground more lightly, or just shadow tap.
5P’S – PROPER PREP PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE
If you don’t knock your bat in enough or don’t re-oil at the end of the season, you might be shortening the life of your cricket bat. Read about knocking-in your bat here.
STORAGE WARS
If you leave your bat in the car all summer, it is likely to be exposed to high temperatures. Sounds great – but really isn’t. The heat will dry out the bat and make it more brittle. Equally, if you leave the bat somewhere cold or damp, the blade will absorb moisture.
PICK YOUR MATES CAREFULY
If you’ve got a bat you treasure, we advise against lending it to anyone. This rule doubles in importance if the person you lend it to is not very good. You are putting your bat’s life in their hands – beware.
SERVICING
If you notice a slight crack or a bit of handle damage, we encourage you to get the bat in for a service as soon as possible. Our skilled team here at Gray-Nicolls will assess the bat and fix it accordingly, given your favourite weapon a new lease of life. Start your repair here.