The BBC's "Celebrity Antiques Road Trip" chose and approached John Newbery Ltd for permission to film the English traditional art of batmaking.
Welcome to Newbery "The Home of Quality"
You have found the home of John Newbery Ltd, World renowned bat makers of truly great tradition, expertise and craftsmanship, based in the County Ground, Hove in East Sussex.
“It is impossible for my words to do this bat justice. Cricket bats are evolving, and the Newbery TT is the perfect example of how they are evolving for the better.” - Sky Sports Feature & Review
NEW - Highest quality innovative new convex bat specially selected from the finest English willow
You have found the home of John Newbery Ltd, World renowned bat makers of truly great tradition, expertise and craftsmanship, based in the County Ground, Hove in East Sussex.
Before use, two coats of Newbery cricket bat oil (one coat is the equivalent of one teaspoonful) should be gently rubbed into the front, back, edges and toe of the blade (taking care to avoid the splice), 24 hours apart. Oiled correctly, the bat fibres should be supple and the face and edges will dent rather than crack during the knocking-in process.
Then the bat should be carefully knocked-in with a Newbery bat mallet concentrating on the blade and most importantly, the edge of the blade. The bat should be struck with gradually increasing force in all areas where one would normally expect to hit the ball although the edges or toe should never be struck at right angles as this would be likely to cause damage.
This process should take in the region of four hours, although it may vary, as every bat is different. Finally start proper use of the bat in the nets against an old ball, under no circumstances should a bat be used in match conditions less than two weeks following purchase.
'Hammer-Edge' Bats These bats have been factory prepared and are ready for use. However it is important to remember that cricket bats can never be over knocked-in and so the more time that is spent preparing the bat the better the performance will be and the longer the bat will last. If your bat has been fitted with an anti-scuff plastic sheet then this will need to be removed every six months and two light coats of Newbery bat oil reapplied.
Maintenance During Use The blade of the bat should, periodically, be rubbed down with fine sandpaper and a light coat of Newbery bat oil reapplied in order to keep the surface supple and prevent the bat from drying out. It is equally important to ensure that the bat is not over-oiled as this will lead to a deadening of the bat and a reduction in performance (as a rough guide, apply no more than four light coats per year).