But to prolong the life of your new bat it should not be used competitively for at least two weeks after purchase.

In that time you need to oil it and 'knock it in'.

But don't just grab any old can out of the garage - raw linseed oil is what you need.

Only about a teaspoonful will be needed to give the face of the bat a coating and be careful as it can be more harmful to over oil than not to bother.

Allow the oil plenty of time to soak in and leave the bat in a horizontal position.

'Knocking in' enables the fibres of the wood to compress and produce a stronger barrier.

This is done using either a special bat mallet or using an old cricket ball, knocking against the bat face and rounding off the edges with gradual increasing force.