Cracks on my bat !

[KashifButt]

I bought and new bat and have started preparing it. After knocking in for an hour cracks have started appearing on the bat. I have attached a photo. Is there anything to worry about? I still have a couple of hours of knocking to go.

 

[cricpk]

Did you knock it with stone ?

 

[Bonnie Prince C]

That really doesn't look good. You are either knocking it with something really weird or the wood is bad by the looks of things. I have once seen a similar thing with a bloke my club. He sanded off the top layer and it was fine after that.

 

[cricpk]

I think the problem is that Willow has dried up, actually not an expert but from my experience when willow loses its moisture before first use, it gets cracked when u start knocking it. I just bought a bat from MB Malik, a cheap one for few experiments and when i knocked it, some cracks appeared but then i applied Face protection tape or stroke sheet, whatever you call it. Now its fine.

 

[greatminds]

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my new GN 5* bat. So,
sanding it would fix it ? The bat has amazing ping even with the cracks...would it loose its
performance if i sand it down to remove the cracks got from knocking
( used wooden mallet for knocking after oiling)

 

[Merve'sTash]

No it wont lose any mojo if you take a layer off IMO providing you dont go mad. Well saying that Ive attatcked a few old GN 5* bats with my makita (thats a flippin good layer off!) and tho lost approx ~1/2 oz it renewed the face very well and the middle mojo the same. Tip: use a rough ish s'paper to take yr light layer off.. then Wet n Dry s'paper (not used wet, obviously) 150/ then a v fine 1000 grit to finish for that nice silky-smooth factory finish. Then oil/ leave/ face protector best In my book. Do once a season.

As to the OP's cracks- just a combination of dry/ moisture loss + the ubiquitous godawful feature of modern bats: badly/ too lightly pressed bats, ie so structurally weak/ too soft, so you need the patience of a saint and very very careful knocking in. Id just avoid them altogether at any cost tbh: buy a proper bat thats of 15 yrs back (when they weremade properly) one thats been well looked after will last 3x as long as these new fatso-monster-numpty bats.

 

[greatminds]

Thank you so much for the response. It felt nice after reading your post.

While waiting for suggestion on this post, I took it back to the retailer (from where I purchased) last week, he too said the same thing..ie the bat is 'flaking' and sometimes its due to the fact that the wood may have minor hollow spaces beneath the surface and that might cause flaking(those hollow spaces is natural process of a growing tree and will NOT be visible when the bats are made). He advised me to use the bat for a couple of weeks as is, maybe there are more hollow space, it might pop-up more. Then he would fix it by popping it up a little more using small pins (I guess) and glue it down, and if it loses performance or if it’s not to my satisfaction he guaranteed a replacement with a new bat. I think it’s not a bad deal. But I am very happy with its performance.

 

[Merve'sTash]

Thank you so much for the response. It felt nice after reading your post.

While waiting for suggestion on this post, I took it back to the retailer (from where I purchased) last week, he too said the same thing..ie the bat is 'flaking' and sometimes its due to the fact that the wood may have minor hollow spaces beneath the surface and that might cause flaking(those hollow spaces is natural process of a growing tree and will NOT be visible when the bats are made). He advised me to use the bat for a couple of weeks as is, maybe there are more hollow space, it might pop-up more. Then he would fix it by popping it up a little more using small pins (I guess) and glue it down, and if it loses performance or if it’s not to my satisfaction he guaranteed a replacement with a new bat. I think it’s not a bad deal. But I am very happy with its performance.

That's good to see a seller in the US who is obviously respectful, and taking a responsiblity having sold it to you. Ive never heard of hollow spaces/ Im far from a bat know-it-all (tho I am a cabinet maker so do have some handy tools around) but would hazard a guess that if pressed as they used to be.. hollow spaces would never have been of mention with a fine 5* grade gray-nicolls bat. Just my hunch tho.

Im intrigued with cricket in the US.. it seems such a 'wrong' place to play (the fast culture as much as anything being the antithesis of cricket, tea at 3.40pm thank you very much etc) it just makes it even more compelling to imagine. Sort of like playing in the Arctic or Russia or something. Me I wouldn't hesitate to set up stumps in Central Park for a quick game and call it The Oval for future reference/ games. Saying that, baseball seems an even slower game especially compared to 50 overs (defo compared to 20/20 which Id think woud suit the US well) and Ive tried my best to get into it as we had your Mjr Lg games live here for the insomniacs: I found there to be such rare moments of interest, usually (and rarely) a homer, even more occasionally a run-out 1/2/3 quick as flash thing.. that my patience was so sorely tested I started to abuse my TV.
Where do you play?

 

[greatminds]

That's good to see a seller in the US who is obviously respectful, and taking a responsiblity having sold it to you. Ive never heard of hollow spaces/ Im far from a bat know-it-all (tho I am a cabinet maker so do have some handy tools around) but would hazard a guess that if pressed as they used to be.. hollow spaces would never have been of mention with a fine 5* grade gray-nicolls bat. Just my hunch tho.

Im intrigued with cricket in the US.. it seems such a 'wrong' place to play (the fast culture as much as anything being the antithesis of cricket, tea at 3.40pm thank you very much etc) it just makes it even more compelling to imagine. Sort of like playing in the Arctic or Russia or something. Me I wouldn't hesitate to set up stumps in Central Park for a quick game and call it The Oval for future reference/ games. Saying that, baseball seems an even slower game especially compared to 50 overs (defo compared to 20/20 which Id think woud suit the US well) and Ive tried my best to get into it as we had your Mjr Lg games live here for the insomniacs: I found there to be such rare moments of interest, usually (and rarely) a homer, even more occasionally a run-out 1/2/3 quick as flash thing.. that my patience was so sorely tested I started to abuse my TV.
Where do you play?

I play in New Jersey. Cricket in US is gaining popularity, lot of schools and colleges are getting involved. They have college scholarships for cricket players and college cricket league is also big these days. The only downside of playing in New Jersey is we don't have truf wickets. Truf wickets are hard to maintain due to severe winter weather conditions. We either play on mat or on AstroTruf wickets. Our leagues (40 over) start in April and end in October. I am just living out my passion for cricket.

 

[Merve'sTash]

Respect then- Im amazed to hear schools are playing it as in essence baseball is such a simple way to setup a game/ regardless of pitching surface etc (and indeed was my earliest memory of having a knack of tonking a ball way further than the other ~7 yr olds kids (rounders/ so a mini baseball as it were).

It must have gained some sort of poluplarity as t'other day I heard a reference to cricket in the new Desperate Hs'wives episode not directly from the Aus guy either. I almost fell off my perch. It was a little condascending mind you!

Can you putup a few pics? I do find it intriguing.. as I do the US/ always have had but never been. Cricket in New Jersey- whod've thunk it?

 

[sledger]

The Rock mentioned cricket on WWE programming a few weeks back as well, on a somewhat related note.

 

[Merve'sTash]

I never know who 'The Rock' is.. its such a generic name that my brain switches off remembering.. similarly Adele, whom even as as total music nut that I am, I cannot even hum a single bar of or know even the name of a song of hers. I assume that has alot to do with the music being of such utter mediocrity and blandness, like Coldplay for eg.

Im sure he is a very good American-Cricketer though. That should be a new magazine, a rip-snorting success/ I can see it now.

 

[greatminds]

Here are few pics taken during our game previous season

 

[greatminds]

Also, here is what happed to my bat after knocking in :-) the stroke is awesome..but am worried...how long will it really last...

 

[slowfinger]

Also, here is what happed to my bat after knocking in :-) the stroke is awesome..but am worried...how long will it really last...

thats a gonner buddy :L

 

[Merve'sTash]

Also, here is what happed to my bat after knocking in :-) the stroke is awesome..but am worried...how long will it really last...

Good pics greatminds, some flair in those shots- nice. The wicket looks ok to play on/ shame the outfield needs a trim by looks of it but can hardly expect too much I guess being a park I assume. I bet there's alot of 3's run there!

Your bat.. looks to me suspiciously like its been in heavy rain/ the face soaked/ had -much- moisture at some stage (then perhaps dried out fast and stayed too dry?) and the face has swelled a bit: the slightly raised edges to the grain where the sanding has hit most seems evidence of this. Usually it settles down though and a light sand for eg & it'll be back ok. As I said Im not an expert tho: just 30 odd yrs of farting about with crix bats/ much fussing etc. Does it need an oiling?

 

[Daemon]

Read thread title as cracks on my butt

 

[Merve'sTash]

Problem: "I have a sizeable crack on my butt goes from my lwr back right down to nr my ballsack Ive no idea what is is..can you help?"

summat like that?

 

[Daemon]

I think the problem is that skin has dried up, actually not an expert but from my experience when bumskin loses its moisture before first use, it gets cracked when u start pounding it. I just bought one from MB Malik, a cheap one for few experiments and when i pounded it, some cracks appeared but then i applied Face protection tape or stroke sheet, whatever you call it. Now its fine.

 

[Merve'sTash]

from my experience when bumskin loses its moisture before first use, it gets cracked when u start pounding it.

for chrissakes. that made me giggle! (GOL is that?)