How to Oil and Knock In a Cricket Bat

A new English willow bat is not match-ready out of the box — skipping this step is the single most common cause of a cracked bat in its first few innings.

Why knocking-in matters

English willow is soft by design (that softness is what gives it ping), which means the surface fibres need to be compressed and hardened before the bat faces a hard ball at full pace. Skip this, and the first genuine yorker or short ball can crack the face.

Oiling first

Apply a light coat of raw linseed oil (not boiled or “finishing” oil) to the face, edges and toe — never the splice or handle. One light coat is enough; oversaturating the willow makes it heavier and can actually soften it too much. Let it dry for 24 hours, then repeat 2–3 times over the following days if the bat looks dry.

Knocking-in properly

Using a proper bat mallet (not a hammer, and not a cricket ball on its own), start with light, repeated taps across the full face, edges and toe, gradually increasing force over 3–4 hours spread across several days.

Prefer to skip the process yourself?

Every bat ordered through our Custom Bat Builder can include professional oiling and knocking-in for ₹1,300 (or knocking-in only for ₹1,000) — done by hand in our Hyderabad workshop before it ships to you. Check out more gear details on our Shop page.