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Does the back of a cricket bat need oiling?

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
The bloke in the cricket store said don't bother, while all the GN and Kookaburra tutorials say yes. Clearly just a bit of a non-issue, but does anyone have further thoughts?
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Need? No.

Wise to? I'd say yes for no reason other than if it should ever be exposed to moisture, e.g rain, then it'd be better for it
 

jonathanfs

Cricket Spectator
yes do it make sure you oil it evenly and the whole of the face and edges and then lay in flat so that the oil doesnt run down to the bottom of the bat if you were to have it standing.
 

Daemon

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reckon laxman sivaramakrisnan took it literally when someone asked him to oil the face
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
The bloke in the cricket store said don't bother, while all the GN and Kookaburra tutorials say yes. Clearly just a bit of a non-issue, but does anyone have further thoughts?
No. Neither needs nor is ever to be done.

There was one very interesting thing once told to me by an old Delhi cricketer who had become an umpire by the time I started playing. He said there was a way to use a new bat, fresh from the shop, without ever having oiled it - this was in the early seventies when every bat HAD to be oiled. "Pour cold water on the back of the bat," he said to me. "Just on the back and then you can take it in with you in a game and it will be fine as if you had oiled it and wouldn't break or crack or chip for want of oiling and playing in"

I never tried it being too scared to take a chance with the precious bats but always wondered . . .
 

Daemon

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Oiling doesn't really make a difference to how the bat performs in a match vs a non oiled bat. All it does afaik is it prevents moisture from seeping in, and helps to prevent cracks and splits.

So yeah, that cold water thing, probably wouldn't try it :p
 

The Coach

Cricket Spectator
Oiling help preserve the wood fibre to prevent cracking [don't mean the crazy-paving onthe face - that is to be expected and is unavoidable].

You could get away from not doing it but the life expectancy of the bat will reduce.
 

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