Cricket Bat Repair - some advice needed!

[The Simmonds]

Hi,

I've just played cricket with my friends (pretty expensive) bat in the nets and damaged it... he's not happy. Like an idiot I stepped back to try and play a shot and instead hit the top of the metal stumps. Its made a circular indent in the centre of the bat towards the bottom and I want to, as best I can, put it right for him. The bat isn't cracked, it just has this circular indent from the hitting the top of the stumps, is there anyway I can repair so that it doesn't really affect the performance of the bat?

Many thanks,

Matt

[Matteh]

Wood filler.

[SJS]

Hi,

I've just played cricket with my friends (pretty expensive) bat in the nets and damaged it... he's not happy. Like an idiot I stepped back to try and play a shot and instead hit the top of the metal stumps. Its made a circular indent in the centre of the bat towards the bottom and I want to, as best I can, put it right for him. The bat isn't cracked, it just has this circular indent from the hitting the top of the stumps, is there anyway I can repair so that it doesn't really affect the performance of the bat?

Many thanks,

Matt

Wood filler.

Thats right take woodfiller with a small quantity of the glue used for wood. Mix them to make a paste and fill the dent. We have a brand of glue called araldit its a white epoxy based glue. You may have something similar.

Put a soft tape on it. By soft I mean not a cloth tape but one of the weaker, transclucent, ones you can get from a pharmacy. Leave it overnight or maybe for 24 hours and it should be fine.

Leave the tape on ideally. Not for strength but for looks.

[The Simmonds]

thats great thanks a lot for your help

[kevinpietersen]

NO NO NO DONT DO ANY OF THAT ABOVE. YOU COULD DO THAT BAT MORE DAMAGE. You can buy certain repair kits for under £10. Juust buy one of them and follow the instructions in them. Try to buy the repair kit that is the same make as the bat. (e.g If you have a GM bat try to get a GM kit) if you can't find one just get any.#
Hope that helps

[jathu]

I also recently broke my cricket bat and I gave it to this other guy and he filled it in with fibre glass...and now its good as new...

[Amobokobokoboko]

Some of my friends also had a simular situation. It all depends what kind of batsman uses the bat afterwards. Oneof our player is a powerhitter and has broken already 2 bats this season. I reckon if you would give him a fixed bat he may break it aswell.

Anyway, good luck with the repair.

Do brands such as GM and Gray Nicolls don't offer a repair service for their customers?

[kevinpietersen]

They do offer a repair service but you have to take the bat to the shop you bought it from and they will send it off to the company. They will not just fix a bat for any old person arriving at there factory.

[Amobokobokoboko]

True but at least it's done by people who have the knowledge and experience.

[tevans]

Dab a bit of water on a small bit of tissue and leave it on that area over night. The willow will re-expand. Sand the spot with a 200+ grit sandpaper to smooth out.

The performance won't be affected at the moment by the way, the damage will be purely superficial.

[kevinpietersen]

Don't do this above. It will swell your bat up. (The performance won't be as good).

[tevans]

Sorry Kevin Pietersen, who are you? How many bats have you made? Which factories have you worked at? You obviously know more than me.

[Matteh]

Lets face it, the performance of the bat isn't going to be tip top once the face has been smashed by the top of a metal stump.

All the suggestions suggested are of a purely cosmetic nature and won't harm the bat any more than it has been.

Time to stop rubbishing suggestions and actually come out with some yourself.

[kevinpietersen]

Well what factories have you worked at.

[tevans]

Well what factories have you worked at.

1 in India, visited most manufacturers there. 2 in the UK.