Strengthen a Cricket Bat

How do you get that rock-hard long lasting cricket bat? Read on and you'll be knocking 'em out of the park.

Steps

Linseed or bat oil

  1. Buy your desired cricket bat. Make sure it's the right size for you and that the grip suits your batting style.
  2. Buy some linseed oil. Alternatively, get the specific bat oil used specifically for making bats this is normally available on the manufacturer's website. Also get a corky (or buy a mallet).
  3. Get the bat oil and a cloth, put a bit of oil on the cloth and put a coat on the face of the bat. Do the back using the same method. Apply a second coating after 24 hours.
  4. Use the corky or mallet to hit the face lightly. Do this at first for about an hour. The next day, hit it harder for about 45 minutes.
Image: Wikimedia

Hot coconut oil

  1. Heat coconut oil until it is hot. Allow it to cool just enough to handle.
  2. Spread it on the bat.
  3. Cover the bat with newspaper. Let sit for an hour.
  4. After the hour has passed, remove the newspaper.
  5. Knock with the corky or mallet.

With a ball-in-a-sock

  1. Take a ball and a sock.
  2. Place the ball inside the sock. Tie a knot to prevent the ball from escaping the sock.
  3. Tie the upper end of the sock onto something where you can freely swing. Choose something like a tree branch, a pole, a frame of a structure, etc. Just be sure you won't hit anything or damage anything in the place you've chosen.
  4. Hit the bat with the ball-in-a-sock.
  5. Repeat this regularly to help make the bat lighter and stronger.

Tips

  • The international players, surprisingly, do not use 20 or so bats a year, some just use 2 or 3. This is because they know that caring for your bat is essential.
  • Do not get the bat contact with water or moisture.
  • Try playing light net sessions (just blocking) with the bat after oiling and knocking in, then step up and play some drives, after that try hitting sixes.
  • If there is a choice of brands, then some names are GM, Gray-Nicolls, SS and BAS (which are slightly heavier), Kookaburra, Slazenger, and Newberry.
  • Try a sheet of anti-scuff on the face, it gains little weight and if you over oil it drains the excess out anyway.
  • If there is no toe guard, and you want to play in a match with a corky then you may want to buy one or get one fitted.
  • If using the brand oil then knocking in isn't always required.

Warnings

  • Whatever you do, don't over-oil it; this is sometimes worse than under-oiling and can add substantial weight which affects the speed with which you can move the bat.

Things You'll Need

  • Mallet (available at most good cricket shops)
  • linseed oil (or bat oil)

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