Essential Cricket Clothing and Equipment

Cricketers need a variety of equipment and suitable clothing to be able to play the game properly and safely. For someone who is just starting to consider playing this sport seriously, finding all the necessary equipment can feel like a tough task. To help you find out what you need, we are going to explore in detail the essential cricket clothing and equipment.

White Clothing

Since the inception of this sport, cricket players have worn white-coloured uniforms. When it comes to clothing, cricket pants and shirts are highly popular amongst cricket lovers.

Cricket clothing is available in adult and children sizes. So, no matter whether you are seeking quality adult children’s cricket pants and shirts or adult sizes, there are various brands that provide exceptional quality. Such renowned brands for adult’s and children’s cricket pants and shirts are Asics, Aero, Gray Nicolls, Whack, SG, SS, etc.

Cricket trousers and shirts are typically stitched using premium-grade fabric and are manufactured using advanced technology. They are known for being soft with great touch feeling, tear-resistant, able to regulate temperature, for their comfortable fit, loose style that allows unrestricted and flexible movement, and for their superior finish. They are made of knitted extra lightweight material that is perfect for everyday workouts and material that helps you in the field. Most often, it is 100% polyester knitted fabric that keeps you dry. In addition, this clothing also features mesh panels for optimum ventilation.

There are certain brands that offer cricket trousers and shirts that provide 40+ UV protection, such as Asics. This is a great feature having in mind that cricket is an outdoor sport. Since this clothing is meant and designed for sport, it provides excellent stretch and comfort. The trousers used in this sport need to be long. Cricket trousers also feature a full elastic waist with adjustable drawstrings. Most common designs also have two front pockets. The cricket pants are pretty simple in designs. Aside from the pockets and the brand logo which is usually printed or sewn on the top of the left leg, they are plain white pants.

When it comes to the shirts, they can be either long-sleeved or short-sleeved, depending on weather conditions. If you have the fund available, it’s good to have them both just so you have all your bases covered.

Cricket Bat and Ball

The bat used in this sport is made of flat wood and connected to a conical handle. It is not allowed to be longer than 96.5cm and it has to be less than 10.8cm wide. There is no standard weight, however, most bats range between 1.2-1.4kg. Get yourself a cricket bat that’s well suited to you and one that will allow you to play to your full potential.

When it comes to the ball, it is a cork ball covered in leather. These balls are very hard and can cause injuries upon impact with the body, weighing between 160-163g. Cricket balls are most commonly in red and white colour. Red ones are used in Test cricket and First-Class cricket, while white ones are used in One-day matches.

Cricket Shoes

While playing cricket, it’s important to have the right kind of footwear. On contrary, it may cause injury and make your performance less efficient. There are specialist cricket shoes that professional cricketers use. These shoes are much sturdier and offer more support to the player despite their resemblance with usual trainers. Some cricket shoes also feature spikes on the bottom surface, which gives rigid support while playing on a real grass wicket.

Helmet

In order to prevent head and neck injuries while batting, you must wear a helmet. It’s better to prevent than cure. Helmets used in cricket consist of a harder “shell” section that covers the top of the head and forehead, and the grille that protects the face and sides of the head. Recently, there are some additions to helmet designs that include “stem guard” which can be attached to the back of the helmet. This addition is used to further protect the upper neck/back of the head area.

Batting Gloves

To protect your hands from injuries while batting, you need proper gloves. Generally, batsmen wear special gloves that are different from the ones worn by wicket keepers. These are very thickly padded at the top of all five fingers, in comparison to the thinner wicket keeper gloves. Other than comfort and protection, these gloves also provide grip and support in the palms while holding the bat.

Abdomen Guard

Abdomen guards are often referred to as a “box” or “cup”. They are used to protect sensitive areas by both women and men in the pelvic region. It is safe to say that abdomen guards are some of the most important cricketing innovations. They are relatively small items and are available in different sizes. Some abdomen guards can be attached via straps that go around the hips, while others are inserted into a pouch in a pair of batting shorts or jockstrap.

Cricket Bag

Once you have all the essential items for cricket, you will need a portable way to travel through places. If you live in an area where it casually rains, you will also need a cricket bag to keep everything together and safe from damage. When choosing a cricket bag, the most important aspects to consider are the material (make sure that it is water-resistant), the sizing, ensure that it is practical so that you can keep everything easily, and check the straps with which you will carry it.