BATTRAININGPREPARATION

IMPORTANT BAT CARE INFORMATIONKnocking In & Played In Services

Getting Started

Every bat must be either oiled and/or have extratec applied prior to using the bat against a ball. Oiling - maintains moisture levels in bats & reduces the chances of splitting and cracking. Use a cloth to apply oil to the bat. Apply oil to the face, edges & blade avoiding the splice & labels (Only exposed timber should be oiled). Generally 3-4 initial coats should be sufficient and one coat every 8-12 weeks thereafter. Each coat should be allowed to dry into the blade in a horizontal position for around 24 hours.

Extratec is a clear self-adhesive protective cover for your bat, covering the entire hitting area. It is by far the best form of protection & 90% of customers enjoy the benefits of applying it to their bats. It also keeps the moisture in the bat but it’s still a very good idea to oil the exposed timber once every 12 weeks with a very light coat.

The ideal preparation is to apply two light coats of oil to the face and edges of the bat & one coat to the back; do all knocking in with a mallet whilst the bat still has a natural face; then apply extratec sheet once the oil has dried. You are now ready to start hitting balls and “playing in” your bat.

After many years of research and development the Greg Chappell Cricket Centre has introduced professional Knocking In and Played In services. Thank you for your customer feedback and desire to have a treatment for your bat that really works and saves you time.

Sometimes, the Knocking In procedure can take well over 10 hours of your time, but let us make it easy for you by selecting one of three bat preparation services

1) Match Ready Service - “Played In”

2) Match Ready Service - “Played In” plus Toe Protection

3) Knocked In Service - “Knocked In”

GCCC Match Ready Service - “Played In” Full service performed at our national workshop

• Best Knocking In Service on the market

• Hand Knocking of Toe

• Hand Knocking of Edges

• Boning of Edges

• Automated hand held Knocking on face

• Edge Tape, Oil & Extratec applied

• Anti-Slip grip modification

• Service is modified specifically to suit YOUR bat

• Automated hand held knocking device. The Automated hand held knocking in device allows the bat to be hit 20 times more often than standard knocking in.

• Enhanced performance & longevity of bat

GCCC Match Ready Service + Toe Protection (Recommended)

GCCC Knocked In Service Performed in each store location

MATCH READY SERVICE “PLAYED IN”

The Process

The Best Knocking-In Service on the market

After years of research, we believe that our ‘Match Ready’ service is the best on the market. It is far superior to any Knocking In services offered elsewhere. We’ve found that most other Knocking In services will either cause damage during the process, or do not complete the job properly, leading to damage during play.

• The same service as above including a fitted Toe Guard for additional longevity/ protection

• Pressing of Bat

• Hand Knocking of Toe

• Hand Knocking of Edges

• Extratec Applied charges may apply for cleaning/repairing bats that have been used, pressed, poorly knocked/oiled or damaged. Jump the Queue (JTQ) is the same service as the Standard Service, but promises much faster turnaround times as advertised above. correctly. Our service includes completion of the Edges & Toe by hand, along with Hand boning of edges for the best service available.

Automated hand held KnockingIn of Face boasts a unique automated hand held knocking in device which allows the bat to be hit 20 times more often than standard knocking in or commercial machines on the market.

Added Protection

* Although this is the best service available, we still recommend testing YOUR bat in the nets prior to game use. Knocked In Service“Knocked In”

For peace of mind & additional protection, the service includes light oiling, bonded Edge Tape & bonded Extratec. Stabilization of the grip is finished after completion of the service.

Additional Toe Protection

• Provides a solid start to the Knocking In process on any English Willow Bat.

• Includes GCCC Machine Pressing

Includes

Hand Knocking of Edges & Toe

The Toe & Edge are the most vulnerable areas on a cricket bat. These areas are most prone to damage & will break if Knocking In is not completed correctly. Unfortunately, almost every other Knocking In service on the market will not complete the Toe or Edges

This service includes up to 200,000 impacts on the face via a unique process. It is set to a force that is very gentle on the bat. It avoids deep bruising of the wood which can happen by hand and is unavoidable in commercial machines. The impact of the process enhances rebound by increased ‘trampoline effect’ to the bat. Most importantly, the Bat is held by hand and observed through the entire process (unlike most machines where the bat is strapped in and the operator presses the button, walks away and comes back once it is done). This means the process can be modified specifically to suit your bat to allow more time to be spent on areas in need! This service

We are not fans of bats being used without some form of toe protection. Nearly all toe guards currently commercially available for owner-fitting are of really bad quality. There is also an overwhelming amount of cricket bats with severe damage due to lack of toe protection. We can also complete the entire Match Ready Service with a durable smooth fitted toe guard which we strongly recommend.

• Toe & Edges are the most vulnerable parts of a bat and are never Knocked In properly on commercial machines. This service offers “Knocking In” on these vulnerable areas by hand!

• Extratec Fitted

We still recommend additional “Playing In” following this service prior to Match Use. Throw downs & net sessions are advised to assess YOUR bat. Some bats are made of softer willow than others & may require additional “Playing In”.

Warranties

• A cricket bat is NOT going to look new forever & cracks will appear on the willow

• The lifespan of a bat depends on the amount of use & the care taken for your bat (keep out of excessively warm conditions & wet weather) + We recommend that a toe guard/ shoe goo should be fitted for extra protection against toe damage

• The Greg Chappell Cricket Centre needs to see the product to arrange the correct course of action following a warranty claim

Currently there is no standard remedy for a warranty claim and the course of action depends on the circumstances. A course of action may include repair, replacement, refund or having the service performed again. The Greg Chappell Cricket Centre will deal with any return of a product purchased from any of our stores or online, and we will always assess the claim in adherence with the Australian Consumer Law. All cricket bats sold by GCCC have a 6-12 month warranty, depending on the manufacturer, against damage deemed not to be the fault of the customer. All warranty assessments and decisions are at the discretion of the manufacturer. The warranty does not cover:

• Yorker damage to the toe

• Surface damage to the face, edge or toe that occurs due to a lack of preparation (knocking-in) or inaccurate play

• Damage due to moisture or extreme heat, or damage that occurs because of improper use

• Damage resulting from the use of non-leather or composite balls, including bowling machine balls

• Damage resulting from bats being machine prepared, not naturally “played in”

*Please note – the use of bowling machine balls and machine prepared knocking in services can and may void your warranty*

Bats with broken handles, cracks and other minor problems that occur within the time and scope of the manufacturer warranty will be sent back to the manufacturer for repair. It takes an average of 10 working days to assess and/or repair the problem in conjunction with the manufacturer. Most claims cannot be remedied on the spot. When making a warranty claim a proof of purchase needs to be provided to the Greg Chappell

BAT REPAIRS - ALL REPAIRS are carried out by our GCCC specialist repairer

Replacement labels are in most cases not available or are sold separately.

Cricket Centre by the customer. This needs to come in the form of a receipt which is provided by the Greg Chappell Cricket Centre with every purchase or a valid bank statement. You can find more information about warranties & repairs online at www. cricketcentre.com.au.

Please remember that Cricket Bats are made from a natural material that has the incredibly hard task of hitting a solid object repeatedly. A small amount of cracking is normal & has no impact on the performance of the bat. Small cracks can usually be sanded out and have been appearing on cricket bats for centuries! Cracking is not a sign of a faulty bat, but an indication your bat requires further knocking in.

Preparing your cricket bat (Do it yourself)

Knocking in is the process by which the grains & fibres in the bat are compressed & strengthened to prepare it for use. This process is vital for all English Willow bats and must be performed with patience & care. The best thing to use is either a bat mallet or ball mallet to prepare your new bat. To do this you will need to spend anywhere up to 16 hours ‘knocking in’ the bat. Pressing the bat will begin the knocking-in process and reduce the overall time needed with the mallet. There are 4 areas that need to be prepared on your bat: the face, the toe & each edge. Your main areas of focus should be the edges & the toe, but you will still need to spend some time (1 hour should be sufficient) on the face.

Starting off softly and building up, hit straight on the face of the bat close to the edge. After a couple of hours, glance the mallet off the edges at a slight angle, but not hitting into the edge, this will slowly make your edges rounder. The rounder the edges the stronger they are, so you want to aim to get them as round as possible! The same applies for the toe, but this should be hit on the bottom 10cm on the face of the bat. Remember it’s very important to be hitting the bat quite hard with the mallet towards the end of this process to prepare the bat for match use. Playing In commences after the mallet process is completed. Take the bat to the nets with an old leather ball. Start with throw downs & work up from there. You should be hitting the ball gently at first and harder as you progress. Inspect the bat after every shot played, if you see any dents or seam marks in the bat then it is not ready for use yet & must be pulled away from ball use immediately. It means you still need to do more work with the mallet! (You should spend at least another half hour on each area if indentations occur). Repeat the above knocking in process until you think your bat is ready for another net session.

By the end of this process you should be hitting a ball as hard as you can, facing a fast bowler without the bat showing any denting or seam marks from the ball. If this is the case, your bat is ready for match use! The overall process should take around 2 weeks & there is no limit on the amount of hours & effort you spend knocking in your bat. The more work the better! This means the bat will last longer and perform better.

The GCCC doesn’t recommend that bats be knocked or played in by machine. These machines often damage the bats and put pressure on the shoulders causing cracking and damage.