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[Northern monkey]

Have you ever damaged a bat that way?

My old laver suffered to a cheap ball, that did similar damage, heartbroken was not the word
The bat was never the same,(even after the surface damage being sanded out), and the bat now has delaminated almost in a circle where the ball struck it. The bat was still used for a couple of seasons after the initial ball impact,(the bat was so good)

But, my point is, even after the sanding out of the visible damage, the fibres underneath must have been compressed to the detriment of the bats performance

I also had a lovely GN that suffered a lot worse damage

[Vitas Cricket]

Are there more and more dodgy, cheap balls out there?

Thats about the top and tail of it.

I must stress I am basing this on the photos alone, but it is very unlikely that this cosmetic damage warrants a replacement. I suspect the bat has faced a very hard ball but obviously this can never be proven either way.

A bat is designed to be used, and when used, minor damage will occur in the playing area. A very good cricket bat should end up looking something like this



If i was the retailer in this situation i would of course consult with the manufacturer, but based on my experience this is unlikely to be a replacement as i suggested before. There are then two options, GM will repair it by packing the crack with glue, allowing it to set and then sanding it smooth (as opposed to removing an amount of wood from the surface) free of charge, and it will come back looking pretty much brand new. The disadvantage is that at this time of year it will probably take a fair while to come back to the customer. The other option is for me to do the repair free of charge (i remove the scuff sheet by trimming around the stickers with a Stanley knife) which obviously means the bat does not quite look brand new but in my opinion the repair is as good. The advantage is i can turn it around in a couple of days.

I can't speak for other retailers but this would be my approach.

[Northern monkey]

If it was a dodgy ball then you shouldn't really expect replacements
People selling these balls want shooting

I have one from a friendly two weeks ago, that swung sideways etc, is 50 overs old and still has its weird crap lacquer on it?
I'm gonna cut it in half and have a look, we borrowed the ball from the oppo, and hopefully I don't see one again

Gotta say, that's top service from the vitas boys to offer that service

[Seniorplayer]

If it was a dodgy ball then you shouldn't really expect replacements
People selling these balls want shooting

I have one from a friendly two weeks ago, that swung sideways etc, is 50 overs old and still has its weird crap lacquer on it?
I'm gonna cut it in half and have a look, we borrowed the ball from the oppo, and hopefully I don't see one again

Gotta say, that's top service from the vitas boys to offer that service

Seems like a cheap ball the clue is that the ball could be coated  with lacquer this is done to make the ball last it will also have a duller finish when new compared to quality balls  Which are coated with thin layers of polish this gives the ball it's shine. When you do cut the ball open it should consist of  3 to 5 layers of cork strips wrap in string for consistent bounce.

[wiki]

Unfortunately I have no idea if I can only blame the ball for the damage, but I know that it did not happened with any other bats used in the same innings.
I will really have to consider the option of sending it to the manufacturer because I am not based in the UK and it will cost me quite an amount in terms of shipping.

Good to know that the damage looks cosmetic only. But can I keep on using it as it is or it requires a repair or sanding off?

[Seniorplayer]

Unfortunately I have no idea if I can only blame the ball for the damage, but I know that it did not happened with any other bats used in the same innings.
I will really have to consider the option of sending it to the manufacturer because I am not based in the UK and it will cost me quite an amount in terms of shipping.

Good to know that the damage looks cosmetic only. But can I keep on using it as it is or it requires a repair or sanding off?

Let me try and clarify for you obviously do not use it if you are going to send it back to the manufacturer who will probably as already stated glue the damage and resand the face. But personally and not because of the cost of shipping I would continue to use the bat as it is why because all bats should crack like that to me it shows that the bat has been correctly pressed for optimum performance. Yes bats can be harder pressed to last  longer without cracking as this helps maintain manufactures warranty's.