Look after your kit
A little care makes a bat last. This is what the makers advise.
Cricket bats
Knock it in before you play
A new natural-faced bat needs knocking in before it faces a real ball. Kookaburra and Gray-Nicolls both recommend at least 6 hours. Bats sold pre-prepared need less (Gray-Nicolls says 1 to 2 hours for its Ready Play bats), so follow the instructions that come with your bat.
- Use a bat mallet or an old, good-quality ball in a sock. Start gently and build up the force.
- Pay extra attention to the edges, but never hit the edge square on at a right angle.
- Then play short catches with an old ball for at least another hour.
- Move to the nets against an old ball. If the seam marks the face, go back to knocking in.
Gray-Nicolls does not recommend automatic knocking-in machines, and excludes damage from them from its warranty.
Oil it lightly
- Use raw linseed oil or a cricket bat oil, on natural-faced bats only.
- Two or three light coats are enough. Oil the face, edges, toe and back, and keep oil off the stickers and the splice (where the handle meets the blade).
- Leave it overnight, then wipe off any oil that has not soaked in.
- Never over-oil and never stand the bat in oil. Too much oil softens the willow.
- Let it dry lying down with the handle slightly raised, not standing upright.
Protect the face and toe
- An anti-scuff sheet on the face protects against minor cracks.
- Edge tape and a toe guard help too. The toe takes the knocks from the ground and from yorkers.
- A face sheet does not replace knocking in, and it will not stop all surface marks.
Store it cool and dry
- Never leave a bat in a car boot, a shed or near a heater.
- Keep it in its cover, indoors, somewhere cool and dry.
- If it gets wet, let it dry naturally before it goes back in your bag.
Cracks are normal. A bat is natural willow hit hard and often, and both Kookaburra and Gray-Nicolls say small surface cracks on the face and edges are to be expected. Get small cracks seen to before they grow. If you think a crack is a fault, see our warranty and repairs page.
Cricket spikes
- Before a game, tighten the spikes with a cricket spike spanner: tight, but not over-tight.
- Check now and then during play that none have worked loose.
- After play, brush off dirt and grass with a soft brush and a damp cloth, and let the shoes dry fully before packing them.
- Carry them in a shoe bag or the shoe compartment of your kit bag.
Hockey sticks
Indoor sticks are built for the indoor game (Grays, for example, makes its Xi indoor sticks specifically for it). For anything else about your stick, ask us in store or WhatsApp the online team.
Sources: Kookaburra bat care and spikes guides, Gray-Nicolls bat care guides and warranty page, and Grays' indoor buying guide, as published in October 2026.