When you receive your bat the first thing you need to before using it is to oil it. Willow itself naturally holds quite a lot of moisture & the drying process leaves roughly 12-14% in the cleft to get the right balance between pliability, weight & performance.

Oiling your bat is key to getting the best out of your bat as it seals the outer layer to help maintain the moisture balance inside the cleft & give some protection from moisture from getting into the bat. Every bat is different so there is no hard and fast rule about how much oil is needed but two coats is the most common. If you are not sure have a look at our TLC guide for more information.

Once the oil has been applied & allowed to cure it seals the bat,conditions the fibres on the blade to help withstand the rigours of cricket & the natural properties of Owzat Oil makes it exceptionally well suited to offering a high-quality level of conditioning for you bat.

The Fibre tape in you bat care kit is a specialised tape designed to help structural protection. The roll in your kit will be roughly 2.5cm wide which is ideal for protecting your edges & running repairs.

Once the oil has dried on your bat the fibre tape should be applied to the edges, with the tape sitting 50% on the face & 50% on the outer edge to give good protection. The combination of the fibre & the adhesive tape gives extra structural support so that if you do mis-hit the ball that it limits the damage & helps hold the area together. Sadly, there is no product which will prevent damage to the edges as this is one of the weakest parts of a cricket bat.

We have oiled &protected the edges now for the final layer of protection, a clear plastic sheet designed to offer the finishing touch.During their lifetime all bats will suffer surface cracks as a result of the fundamentals of the game & the natural characteristics of willow. This fair wear & tear will begin to accumulate from the very first use given that even balls hit in the middle of the bat will cause minor structural changes which build up over time.

The Anti-scuff sheet conforms the MCC laws, providing a final barrier against cricket balls. The material & adhesive work together to prevent the ingress of moisture & give structural support to the face& help slow down the effects of wear & tear on the bat. The material is clear allowing you to enjoy the grain of the bat & keep an eye on any surface cracks.

A very simple yet effective item to help protect the toe of the bat. The toe is one of the weakest parts of a bat & the part of the bat which touches the ground most often & as such the chances of moisture enteringthe blade causing swelling is high.

On top of oiling adding a protective toe guard is a great way to greatly reduce the impact of moisture ingress & protect against tapping on the crease. Use the adhesive in your kit to stick to the bat & once it has set trim the toe guard to the shape of the bat removing any excess as required to give a nice neat finish.

The bat mallet is a crucial piece of kit to give your bat the best possible preparation. Using a mallet to knock in a bat is a continuation of the pressing process. It further compacts the fibres of the designed hitting are or the middle & the edges further condition them for use against the cricket ball.

All bats will need 6-8 hours of knocking in so even if your bat has our Ready2Play service you will need to knock it in further. When knocking in we recommend soft glancing blows on the edges & middle for the 1st hour before using in for throw downs against soft good quality cricket balls. Keep a close eye on your bat for deep & noticeable seam marks as this means the bat needs more time with the mallet. Try going back to the mallet for an hour gradually increasing the force of the blows & repeat the process until you are happy the seam is making little impact on the blade.

Remember never knock in the back of the bat or directly strike the edges as this will damage you bat &constitute misuse.

Every new bat will come with a rubber grip & these grips are a perishable part of the bat & will need replacing a couple of times a season depending on use. Grips will wear over time but can also rip or tear at any time, even brand-new ones. As part of the kit, we offer a pair of grips to ensure that you always have a backup & the grip cone is the preferred & easiest to use applicator.

Simply put the end which you want at the top of the handle on the applicator first. Roll the grip up from the thick end to the narrow end until it pops off an your have one end visible. Put this open end over the narrow end of the grip cone & place the top of your bat handle in the recess in the widest part of the bat cone. Simply roll the grip down on to your bat handle until the end reaches the shoulders of you bat &unroll the grip. This does take some practice so as a teammate if you need help.