How to Use Cricket Bat Oil?

A cricket bat is the most valuable weapon for batsmen. To get the best out of it, a player must know how to use cricket bat oil for knocking and maintaining the bat properly. Even the most expensive bats without proper oiling can break easily.

On the other hand, average priced bats with proper oiling and maintenance can help increase the longevity of the bat.

Cricket bat oil helps the bat perform to its full potential for longer. The linseed cricket bat oil should be used 2-3 teaspoons at a time for proper absorption. The oil should be applied along the grains and not across them. About 12-24 hours should be given for drying the bat before the next round of oiling.

What Happens If You Don’t Oil Your Cricket Bat?

If you don’t oil your cricket bat, it can be very harmful for the bat and you may end up losing your favorite willow and some hard-earned money with it. A batsman spends long hours in the blazing sun in practice, or in a match while batting long innings. This can dry the bat out which may eventually lead to cracking or splitting of the grains of the bat.

If the bat is not oiled and knocked properly, the fibers of the bat remain loose. In such a case, a sudden hard strike of the mallet or the fast leather ball can induce cracks in the bat by splitting the loose fibers. Oiling the bat helps to prevent dryness and thus increase the utility and life of the bat.

Should I Oil My Bat Before Knocking It In?

Absolutely, yes! Knocking a new bat before oiling may prove disastrous for the bat. Oiling helps to moisturizing the while knocking helps compressing the fibers of the bat and keeping the in a tightly bound, and thus, a string position. Oiling before knocking helps the strong binding of the fibers.

Some people tend to the rounds of oiling and knocking alternatively. Even then, make sure that the oiling is the first step – not the knocking. It is recommended to avoid knocking vigorously to begin with. As the bat is oiled well enough, the force of knocking can be gradually increased and once the oiling is completely done, hard knocking can be used.

How Long Does Linseed Oil Take to Dry on a Cricket Bat?

The linseed oil generally takes about 12 hours to dry after applying on a cricket bat. It also depends on the amount of oiling that has already been done on the bat. On a completely new cricket bat, the oil may get absorbed pretty quickly under 12 hours. However, as the bat soaks enough oil, the bat may take more that 12 hours to absorb the oil in the later stages of oiling.

A well-oiled bat may take up to 24 hours to dry. It’s a signal to stop over oiling the bat. It’s ready for this season. Do not forget to repeat the oiling process after every 5-6 months or a long season.

How to Put Linseed Oil on a Cricket Bat?

Before putting the Linseed oil on the bat, prepare the bat for oiling by removing any stickers or taping on the bat so that the complete bat surface can be oiled properly. Then follow the steps mentioned below:

Keep the bat on a dry surface facing upwards.

Dip a piece of cloth or cotton in linseed oil and spread the oil slowly on the bat surface along the grains of the bat from bottom to top.

Keep it horizontal after oiling, let the bat absorb the oil for a while and then wipe off the excess oil.

Oiling must be done in front face, the edges, the heel of the bat and about 3 to 4 cm from the edges to the back of the bat.

Remember not to put linseed oil on the bat across the grains as that won’t be optimal for absorption.

How Much Oil Do You Put in a Cricket Bat?

More is not better when it comes to oiling a cricket bat. Generally, 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil are good enough in one round of oiling. There is only so much a bat can absorb in a go. If the bat is completely dry after 12-24 hours, one more round of oiling can be applied. Repeat this until the bat stops absorbing any more oil. Avoid over oiling the bat as it may add unnecessary weight to the bat and may risk rotting of the bat as well.

Conclusion

Oiling a bat may seem to be a trivial task, but it is very easy to get it wrong. We hope this article helped you understand the importance of oiling a cricket bat, especially the new one. The amount of oil used, the time spent drying and knocking-in after the oiling process should be the essential takeaways from this article.

Find the best linseed oils for your cricket bat or if you can’t get your hands on linseed oil, try some of the popular alternatives for oiling the bat.