Cricket Equipment - Safety First

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Any cricketer worth his salt knows that to be able to confidently compete on the field, you will need some solid cricket equipment.

If you have aspirations to be the next Kevin Pietersen or Matt Prior you will need to invest in some quality cricket equipment. This is not only important to help you make the most of your talent but also to keep you safe on the fiels as five and a half ounces of leather and cork flies around at often dangerous speeds. Whether you are a batsman, a wicket keeper or a fielder there are a few items of cricket equipment that you really can't do without - if you want to remain uninjured that is.

Cricket Equipment for the Batsman

A batsman at the crease can be a vulnerable figure without the correct cricket equipment as opposition bowlers hurl down deliveries sometimes approaching 100 miles per hour. The most important item without question is a box. Without one of these an unfortunately aimed ball can really cause some damage, and lots and lots of pain. A batsman also needs a good pair of pads to protect his legs and a thigh pad and possibly an inner thigh pad. A pair of cricket spikes is necessary to protect the feet from yorkers and they also enable a batsman to run safely between the wickets without falling. Batters also need a sturdy pair of batting gloves and another essential piece of cricket equipment is a helmet in case a bouncer sneaks through their defence. For extra safety against fast bowlers a batsman may choose to wear a chest guard and/or an arm guard to help prevent broken arms and ribs which are not uncommon in cricket. This cricket equipment is easily available and a sensible investment.

Wicket Keeping Cricket Equipment

A wicket keeper is another figure on a cricket field who needs a number of items of cricket equipment for safety. Stood directly behind a batsman he is expected to take fast deliveries with ease and dive around to save runs and take catches, so he needs a strong pair of wicket keeping gloves. Quality gloves are thick to protect the hands but flexible to enable the stumper to wrap his fingers around the ball when taking a catch. Other cricket equipment he needs includes keeping pads which are shorter than batting pads to allow him to dive around and bend his knees easily as he crouches in between balls. A keeper is another player who absolutely must wear a box for the obvious reasons mentioned for a batsman, and many also choose to wear a helmet.

Cricket Equipment for the Close Fielder

Close fielding takes some guts because it is a very dangerous place to field, mere yards from the batsman who could thrash the ball in his direction at any moment. Luckily for these fielders there is cricket equipment to give them at least some protection. A box and a helmet are prerequisites for the role and many also wear special close fielding shin guards in case the batsman does get hold of the delivery. Quality equipment is light as well as protective so you will soon get used to wearing it and if a ball does whack you somewhere painful you'll be very glad that you are protected.

Stay Safe with Cricket Equipment from Talent Cricket

If you have realised the vital importance of having protective cricket equipment, before you take the field you should have a look at the extensive range of kit at Talent Cricket. To view the products available and for more information visit www.talentcricket.co.uk.