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[TopShot]

So I just got word from the seller again. He assures that he knocked the bat in himself and based on his track record with me I believe him. Not sure what to do now. I have another bat (GM hero 909) that I have been using and I haven't had any problems with cracks due to the balls my club uses.

I beginning to think this is a problem with the bat itself.

[amritpremi]

Time to use the warranty I think, if there's a chance you should send the bat back. It would be best if the seller and the bat company assess the issue and get you a replacement if needed. What if you try to repair/refurbish it and it gets worse from here, not worth for a bat which has been with you for less than 6 months.

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Is the seller from here in retail? If so send it back to him.

If the seller is a brand sponsor then sounds like you will have to send it back to mongoose yourself. the seller should have the receipt.

[Giraffe208]

I'm surprised the "sponsor" isn't being more helpful. The sponsors I have spoken to and used on here have excellent customer service!

[ItsJustCricket]

I recommended a refurb because the replacement option will take a lot of time and effort, and is by no means guaranteed despite the bat being less than a year old.  The retailer will first need to inspect, then send back to Mongoose and they both need to agree that it's a manufacturing fault/storm damage that is responsible for the damage.  The customer will have to pay for postage to the retailer/manufacturer, which more than likely won't be refunded as well.  There's just a lot of hassle involved, to be honest!

[TopShot]

I am sending the bat back to the seller for inspection and repair/replacement if necessary. I'm really hoping the damage is merely cosmetic and not fatal. We shall see.

I will update on my progress.

[TopShot]

Well I think I solved the mystery. A couple guys at my club played with our training balls (kookaburra county match) last Monday night in the rain. The balls have become heavy and hard like concrete. I had no idea of this when i went to have a net on Wednesday night with my Mongoose. I only realized tonight when during a net with the same balls my other bat (GM hero 909) also started to crack and had no ping at all. I am so pissed  I should have known something was up with the balls on Wednesday but I stubbornly carried on batting and now my new bat has paid the price.

It's gone for repair now and i can only hope that the cracks are more cosmetic than anything else. Thanks for all the advice from everyone about this problem, It was really appreciated. Now I'll ask you all to pray for the guys who wrecked our training balls and now my bat. They know not what they have done...

[Over Gully]

Well I think I solved the mystery. A couple guys at my club played with our training balls (kookaburra county match) last Monday night in the rain. The balls have become heavy and hard like concrete. I had no idea of this when i went to have a net on Wednesday night with my Mongoose. I only realized tonight when during a net with the same balls my other bat (GM hero 909) also started to crack and had no ping at all. I am so pissed  I should have known something was up with the balls on Wednesday but I stubbornly carried on batting and now my new bat has paid the price.

It's gone for repair now and i can only hope that the cracks are more cosmetic than anything else. Thanks for all the advice from everyone about this problem, It was really appreciated. Now I'll ask you all to pray for the guys who wrecked our training balls and now my bat. They know not what they have done...

I'm surprised you carried on using the bat despite the fact the balls were causing the damage. I too would be extremely peeved that this has occurred, but I would've stopped batting had I noticed it. The damage superficially looks very bad, but a refurb should get it back in solid working order. Most cracking generally doesn't affect performance, so long as they are just surface cracks it should be OK. I hope for your sake it is...

[TopShot]

Yeah I should have stopped using the bat much earlier. I had been using the bat so sparingly before that I barely knew what it was capable of. So that session I was determined to stick with it...which in hindsight was a stupid decision. The damage wasn't really noticeable until near the end when I tried to whack a couple of medium pace full tosses for 6. That's when I noticed the middle of my bat had sustained some serious abuse.

Anyway I'm hoping for good news from the seller.

[ItsJustCricket]

To be completely honest, mate, if you've identified the problem (the hard balls), this doesn't appear to be a manufacturing fault.  I would be surprised therefore if the seller offers a free replacement.

I hope for your sake that you do get this replacement, but just wanted to be realistic...

[TopShot]

To be completely honest, mate, if you've identified the problem (the hard balls), this doesn't appear to be a manufacturing fault.  I would be surprised therefore if the seller offers a free replacement.

I hope for your sake that you do get this replacement, but just wanted to be realistic...

Hi Paul,

Yeah I no longer feel the bat is defective or wasn't knocked in properly so I'm not looking for a replacement. I already had a chat with the seller about the hard balls and he is confident he can repair it based on the pictures. Hopefully the damage is more cosmetic than anything else.

I have a question though what do you guys do about cricket balls that get soaking wet? Do they all turn into concrete? Is there any way to dry them out so they don't become bat breakers?

[ItsJustCricket]

Hi Paul,

Yeah I no longer feel the bat is defective or wasn't knocked in properly so I'm not looking for a replacement. I already had a chat with the seller about the hard balls and he is confident he can repair it based on the pictures. Hopefully the damage is more cosmetic than anything else.

I have a question though what do you guys do about cricket balls that get soaking wet? Do they all turn into concrete? Is there any way to dry them out so they don't become bat breakers?

Good news about the repair!

Never been asked that before! I wouldn't use them for a week or two - give them a decent amount of time to properly dry out and then have a tester in the nets just to check.  Not sure if there is a specific method to dry them out quicker - anyone else know of anything?