Warranty and bat care
Wood is wood.
We've got you covered.
Every JK bat is cut from natural English willow and finished by hand in Adelaide. Look after it and it'll look after you. If something goes wrong that shouldn't, we'll make it right.
Bat care
Prep it right and it'll last.
A new bat needs a little work before its first proper hit. Oiling keeps moisture in the willow so it's less likely to crack. Knocking in compresses the fibres so the face can take a hard ball.
01
Oil it
Two or three light coats of raw linseed oil on the face, edges, toe and back. Keep it off the stickers, toe guard and splice. Lay the bat flat and let each coat dry before the next.
02
Protect the face
An anti-scuff sheet or face cover adds durability, though it won't stop all surface damage. Oil any willow it leaves exposed. Oiling always comes before knocking in.
03
Knock it in
Every JK bat needs knocking in. Use a bat mallet for up to ten hours, working the edges and toe as well as the face, until seam marks stop showing. Rather I do it? Add knocking in.
04
Ease it in
Start with slow throw downs using old, good quality balls, then move to spin and faster bowling. Hold off on new balls for a while. If seam marks show at any stage, go back to the mallet.
Every bat knocks in a little differently. Take your time with it. The extra hour on the mallet is the cheapest insurance your bat will ever get.
What to avoid
Seven ways to shorten a bat's life.
- Playing before it's knocked inAn unprepared face is the most common cause of early cracks.
- Over oilingToo much oil can rot the willow and leave it dead. It's hard to do, but wipe any excess off with an old rag.
- Oiling it standing upAlways lay the bat flat while the oil soaks in.
- Washing it with waterWillow and water don't mix.
- Tapping on a wet pitchWater gets into the toe, swells the willow and can cause horizontal cracks.
- Digging out hard yorkersFull force into the toe is a common way to crack it.
- Cheap cricket ballsLow quality balls bruise and dent the face.
Our warranty
Repair first. Replace if it can't be fixed.
Cricket bats are a natural product, so any bat can break, however well it's made and looked after. Following the care guide above gives yours the best chance, and most of the time a damaged bat can be fixed.
12 months
From purchase
Approved warranty claims on JK bats within 12 months of purchase are repaired free.
$0
Postage within Australia
We cover postage both ways. Outside Australia, postage both ways is on the customer, or we'll try to find a repairer near you.
Like for like
If it can't be fixed
You'll get a replacement of the same value. Upgrades aren't available on warranty replacements.
Stickers off?
Still covered
Your warranty still applies, as long as we can identify the bat as one of ours.
What's covered
- Faults in the bat itself, within 12 months of purchase
- Toe damage on round toe bats, where the bat is at fault
- A free repair on approved claims, with a replacement if it can't be fixed
- Bats with the stickers removed, as long as we can identify them
What's not covered
- Regular wear and tear
- Misuse, neglect, or repairs and modifications done without JK Cricket's sign off
- Damage from bad shots, or failure from poor preparation and care
- Yorker damage to square toe bats
Inaccurate play
If a false shot damages the sides, back, shoulders, toe or another area of the bat, warranty won't apply. That includes damage from carrying it in a bag or banging it on the ground.
Our decision on inaccurate play claims is final.
Replacement bats
A replacement keeps the warranty of the original bat, running 12 months from the original purchase date, not from when the replacement is issued.
If your bat is replaced in the last three months of its warranty, we add three months from the date the new bat is issued. In general, a bat is repaired at least once before a replacement or credit is given.
Make a claim
Something happened? Talk to me first.
Please lodge a claim with photos before doing anything to the bat yourself. Every claim is assessed by me in the Adelaide workshop. Prefer email? Send photos to sales@jkcricket.com.au.
01
Lodge it online
Answer a few quick questions and add photos. It takes about two minutes and there's nothing to pay.
02
Send it in
If it's covered, I'll email you a free return label. Once it's here you'll get updates as it moves through the workshop.
03
Repair or replace
If it can be fixed, I'll fix it. If it can't, it's replaced, or refunded where the Australian Consumer Law requires.
Soft gear and returns
Pads, gloves and returns.
Soft gear
Pads, gloves, bags and other soft gear aren't covered for general wear and tear. They are covered for manufacturing faults within 6 months of purchase.
If there's a fault, we'll repair or replace it, or refund it where the Australian Consumer Law requires.
Returns
We don't give refunds for change of mind. Returns are given as store credit, except where the Australian Consumer Law requires a refund.
For the full returns policy, including sizing swaps, see Delivery & Returns.
Not sure if it's covered?
Send me a few photos.
Lodge a claim and I'll take a look before anything gets posted. Or book a time and bring it into the workshop.
