Pre Prepared v Ready to Play Bats

What this means. The terms "Knocked In", "Pre Prepared" and "Ready to Play" cause lots of customer confusion. Here are some simple notes to hopefully help you understand the finish on the bat you are thinking of buying.

KNOCKED IN - if noted YES then the bat is fully factory prepared, with only gentle net practice required prior to match use. Where a bat is described as PART this means that it has been pre-prepared in the factory but is NOT ready to play. In this instance please use the About Bats link at the top of each page for advice and notes on the "Knocking In" procedure.

PRE PREPARED - part prepared by the manufacturer, including oiling and additional pressing under a factory roller. These bats are NOT fully prepared and NOT ready to play. Please use the About Cricket Bats link at the bottom of each page for advice and notes on the "Knocking In" procedure you need to carry out prior to use.

READY TO PLAY - Whilst this does mean the bat can be played with right away please see our note below as we believe the more you prepare and look after your bat the better it will serve you.

Whatever the individual bat makers policy, immediate play with your bat is not advised. A minimum of 14 days pre use knocking in is considered as a reasonable time period especially before full match use. We receive many calls from customers chasing delivery of their new bat "for the weekend" - this is simply asking for trouble and may affect any after sales service that we are able to offer you.