How to Make a Cricket Bat Ready for Playing

The game of cricket, enjoyed by people around the world, has been played since the late 1500s with its roots in England. However before you jump in to play the game, you must prepare your cricket bat by making it ready for play. When a new cricket bat is used in a game without having been knocked-in beforehand, the risk of the bat being irreversibly damaged is very high. Knocking-in a bat consists of several steps that ultimately make your bat stronger, more resistant against damage such as splitting and more likely to have a long playing life. There are some specialty sports shops that offer services to knock-in your bat, but doing it yourself is simple and saves money.

Things You'll Need

  • Linseed oil Wooden knocking mallet
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Instructions

    • 1

      Apply a small amount of linseed oil to the cricket bat using your hands, lightly coating the entire surface. Let the bat sit for several hours to soak up the oil, and then reapply another thin coating of the linseed oil to the entire surface.

    • 2

      Hit the front surface of the cricket bat repeatedly with a wooden knocking mallet. Continue hitting the surface of the bat evenly and with continually rising force for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You'll make slight dents, but this is normal. Be sure you don't hit the back of the cricket bat. Also, make sure you use a wooden knocking mallet that has been made specifically for knocking-in cricket bats. These are available at specialty sports equipment stores.

    • 3

      Repeat the 15- to 20-minute knocking session as often as possible over the course of several days, until the cricket bat has received 4 hours of knocking-in. Make sure to re-apply the linseed oil to the surface of the bat before each session.

    • 4

      Round out the edges of the cricket bat by hitting the edges gently with the wooden knocking mallet until they are slightly rounded.

    • 5

      Use your cricket bat for several practice sessions before bringing it into a full-force game.