About this product
This is a self-adhesive toe guard for a cricket bat.
The toe is the most vulnerable part of a bat and the reason is anatomical. Everywhere else on a blade you are looking at the side of the wood fibres. At the toe you are looking at their cut ends – end grain – and end grain absorbs water like a bundle of straws. Every time a batsman taps the bat on damp ground between deliveries, and every time the bat stands on wet grass, moisture goes straight up those fibres.
Wet willow is soft willow. A softened toe then meets a yorker, and it splits – either straight up the blade or by breaking a chunk clean off the bottom. Look at any collection of broken bats and the majority failed at the toe.
A toe guard is a strip of protective material stuck across the bottom. It seals the end grain against moisture and takes the repeated impact of tapping and yorkers. It is one of the cheapest items in cricket and it prevents one of the most expensive failures.
Fit it after knocking in, on a clean, dry toe. If the bat has already been used, dry it thoroughly first – sealing moisture inside is worse than leaving it exposed.
Never oil the toe. Oil on the face and edges feeds the willow; oil on the end grain soaks straight in and softens exactly the part you are trying to keep hard. It is a common and costly mistake.
Mikado Bat Toe Guard