Many inexperienced players will purchase a cricket bat and think it’s perfectly fine to be used in a real match straight away. But hold on! Before you do head out to the middle, it may be wise to give your bat some tender loving care first. There is always a risk that new bats can crack and suffer irreversible damage if used when brand new. To protect against this cricketers should first think about oiling and knocking in their bat.
Oiling
Oiling Your Bat (Uncovered Bats) 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 cracking and splitting.
Knocking
When you knock in a cricket bat you compress the fibers of the willow and knit them together, so they become tough enough to withstand the impact of a cricket ball. Effective “knocking-in” will dramatically improve performance and increase the lifespan of the bat.
Benefits of “Knocking” for a Cricket Bat:
- Allow the soft fibers to strike a hard NW cricket ball.
- Reduces the risk of the bat snapping.
- knocking of bat fills in the gaps between the fibers.
For a bat saying it is pre- Knocked
Even if you have purchased a "pre knocked in" bat, further knocking is always require