Bat Care and Knocking In

Your pride and joy has not been knocked in.
We have done all we can and now we need you to lavish some TLC on your new Bulldog!
The bat needs two separate light coats of Raw Linseed Oil. You need to allow the first coat to dry fully before applying the second coat. Apply the oil with your fingertips or a soft cloth. Concentrate on the face, edges and toe, assuming we haven’t fitted a toe-guard for you.

There is no need to oil the back or shoulders. Do not over oil you new bat, a couple of light coats are sufficient.
Now you are ready to start the knocking in process. This will take you a couple of hours I’m afraid. The aim is to get your Bulldog used to the impact of leather cricket balls. Work on the face and the edges where you feel that a genuine “nick” may occur. Use a good quality old ball or a bat-conditioning mallet. Be patient, increase the impact pressure progressively and keep working until you have a compact rounded appearance. You are now ready to use an old ball and have a few throw downs in the nets and hit a few close catches during warm-ups.

Now that the oil has completely dried and the knocking in process has been completed we would recommend that you give the face of your bat a very light sanding and apply a clear anti-scuff blade face. Be careful when applying the blade face, trim it to the correct size before applying it to the face, and do not trim it on the bat. We feel that using a blade face is essential in the first year’s ownership. The blade face will minimise surface damage and really help protect you bat without affecting its performance. This is the best way to prolong your Bulldogs life, Blade faces work, and we always use them on our bats.

Recommended Bat Sizes

Size 4 – 4’9” to 4’11”
Size 5 – 4’11” to 5’1”
Size 6 – 5’1” to 5’4”
Harrow – 5’4” to 5’8”
Full Size – 5’8”+

Warranty

Bulldog guaranteed their cricket bats against premature breakage in the course of reasonable use and care for a period of six months from the time of purchase. Should you experience any problems please contact us immediately so that we can suggest an appropriate course of action.

Liability

Due to the nature of the cricket, it is possible that impacts may occur that exceed the limitations of our products. Bulldog Cricket accepts no responsibility whatsoever, for any injuries sustained or damages caused to property by the use of our products whether they are damaged or otherwise.