At Aldred Cricket Bats, we have built our reputation on delivering a quality product and service to the customer. We believe we produce some of the finest quality bats available anywhere in the world, and Paul’s aim as a craftsman is to get the optimum performance out of any cleft of willow that is transformed into a cricket bat.

We want our customers to be proud of their bats and for the term ‘quality’ to become synonymous with the name Aldred Cricket.

The materials

Willow and cane and natural materials used in our manufacturing processes in accordance with the laws of the game. These materials naturally deteriorate with use and, even with the best preparation, can’t be impervious to the effects of poor quality balls, mistimed shots, excessive tapping and general wear and tear.

As a result, it’s impossible for any manufacturer to accurately predict the life expectancy of a cricket bat especially in the modern era of short forms of cricket and cheaper substandard cricket balls.

Aldred Cricket Bats come with a 6 month warrantry from the date of purchase. The warranty covers reasonable use Aldred Cricket Bats LTD. Reasonable use involves, and is limited to, use of Aldred Cricket Bats to hit balls specifically designed for the use in the sport of cricket. It excludes damage caused by the use of poor quality balls, mistimed shots/Yorkers, tapping and normal wear and tear. Toe splits and damage are not covered under warranty.

Proof of purchase will be required to support any warranty claim. Bats returned under warranty will be assessed by Paul Aldred himself. Following the assessment, the bat will either be repaired or, if a repair is not viable, replaced or part replaced (i.e. a new bat offered at a significantly discounted price) depending on the nature of the damage and its general condition.

We pride ourselves on delivering the best customer service and will always try to be fair and reasonable with the customer. Advice on preparation and maintenance will be given. Any bats where the customer has removed the stickers from the bat intentionally to be blank will nullify the warranty agreement.

Typical examples of bat damage

To help you get an idea of how your bat could become damaged and to try and prevent this from happening, these are some of the most common examples of bat damage:

Shoulder damage

This occurs when the ball is struck hard on the relatively thin edge at the top of the bat. This can cause splitting of the wood, however prompt repair will prevent further splitting and will not impair the bat’s performance.

Surface/edge cracking

This is common with extended use. Minor cracking can be sealed with superglue, however if the cracking is excessive, the application of a facing and/or fibreglass edging tape may be recommended following repair.

Toe damage

This can take several forms:

  • Horizontal cracks/de-lamination may appear on the toe of the bat and is caused by moisture uptake from the ground. This softens the fibres which then open up with repeated tapping. If the damage is severe, the performance of the bat will eventually be affected. Prompt repair will reduce the risk of performance impairment
  • Yorker damage occurs when the ball becomes trapped between the toe of the bat and the ground. The severity of the damage will depend on the power of the shot, the hardness of the ball and the hardness of the playing surface. Any resulting splitting should be assessed and repaired if necessary. In the most severe cases, the bat splitting is severe enough to render the bat unusable. Splits or breaks through the toe are caused by very heavy blow from a mistimed shot or cheap quality ball and cannot be covered under warranty.
  • Corner denting/cracking can be caused either by poor preparation of the bat, severe impact or by a combination of the two. The damage is normally repairable without any significant loss of performance

Handle problems

Handle failure can be caused by material defects or as a result of shoulder damage running into the handle region. In all cases, the bat has to be re-handled. Sometimes, the only effective way of repairing significant shoulder to damage is to replace the handle even though the handle itself hasn’t failed. Prompt and effective repair work can prevent more serious damage, so in the event of damage, the bat should be returned promptly. Leaving damage unattended until the bat is beyond repair may be construed as neglect.

Repairs carried out within the Aldred 12 month warranty period are free of charge, however there is normally a return postage and packing charge. Subsequent repair and servicing is chargeable.

We manufacture our bats very carefully to provide the highest levels of performance and durability, and encourage you the owner and player to continue our work by preparing, protecting and maintaining the bat in accordance with our recommendations to achieve long lasting results.

Wear and Tear

Generally speaking, goods that have seen regular significant use over a season or that are more than 6 months old are usually considered to be outside of the warranty period.

Specialist items designed for short-term high-performance use may have significantly reduced periods available for consideration of fault claims (such as match quality cricket balls).

We operate a fair wear and tear policy and in some cases goods within the warranty period may be considered to have endured a fair level of use.  For example, a keen regular committed player, playing and training several times a week may wear through kit inside generic warranty periods without any material or manufacturing fault being present.

Goods damaged through heavy use, misuse or inappropriate personal product care for example spike marks from being stood on or snagged in car boots etc would not be considered valid for warranty claim. These would not be manufacturing defaults. Goods displaying levels of wear/ fatigue/deterioration proportionate to usage level and conditions of play would also be exempt from a warranty claim.

Before any offer of action can be made all returns must be examined by us first hand to verify a fault is present.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch:

07891 233238