Like many of us cricketers, during the off-season, we completely forget about our cricket bag that is stored away in the garage or loft. Come to the start of the new season, we dig out our kit bag and realise that we need to replace a few items that haven't wintered well!
Maybe you've not given your bat the TLC it deserves during the off-season, or your batting gloves have worn away.
If that sounds like you, we have you covered with this comprehensive guide on what to consider when buying cricket equipment ahead of the new season.
The first question we ask all our customers is what is your budget?
There is no point looking at the latest Gunn and Moore Ben Stokes Cricket Bat which is £500 if that is going to blow your total budget. Also, do you need to spend that much on a bat to play local league cricket?
Also, if you're a junior cricketer just starting out, you don't want to be spending lots of money on kit that you are likely to grow out of.
As a rough guide:
Whilst the more you pay will lead to an increase in performance, that does not mean you need to always pay top dollar for your cricket kit. Some of the most expensive cricket equipment can have too much technology and is just unnecessary for what you require. If you really cannot see the benefit, don’t spend over the odds.
Top Saving Tip - if you're looking to make a saving but don't want to compromise on performance, take a look at the previous years' models which are likely to be on sale at most retailers.
This may sound too sensible but if you are just a batsman, make sure that you apportion most of your budget to buying batting equipment. Likewise, if you are mainly a bowler, spend more on your supportive cricket shoes.
For all-rounders or those batting-wicketkeepers, it is a little different. You may have to prioritise what piece of kit is the most essential to you, a bat or wicketkeeping gloves.
Are you someone who likes to have all your kit with the same cricket kit brand, or do you mix and match your brands? There is no right or wrong answer to this. However, you could look like a pro or a badger depending on how well you play!
Below, we break down the different types of cricket brands you will come across:
You have the major brands that you see many players using on the TV such as Gunn & Moore, Gray-Nicolls, New Balance, Kookaburra and MRF. They provide customers with every piece of cricket equipment imaginable across several different ranges and price points.
As you can imagine, these brands are incredibly popular due to their exposure at the highest level of the game. For example, after Ben Stokes scored his wonderful match-winning hundred at Headingly in 2019, at Serious Cricket, we saw the GM Diamond bat fly off the shelves the following week.
Next, you have localised brands such as Chase, Newbery, Salix, and Keeley. These brands tend to have smaller, high-quality product ranges with that added personal touch. Where these brands are more localised, you will often see pro cricketers from that county using the kit, such as Newbery who sponsors Will Beer from Sussex. An added bonus with localised brands is that they are more willing to custom fit their equipment to suit your needs, especially when it comes to cricket bats. On-site here at Serious Cricket, we work closely with Chase who offers custom bespoke fit bats for our customers that match their exact specifications.
We finish with the specialist brands such as Masuri (Cricket Helmets), Aero (Cricket Protection), and PAYNTR (Cricket Footwear) who specialise in one or two products.
As mentioned above, the kit you select must match your style of play for you to perform your best on the field of play. If you are a front foot batter, then you would be best choosing a bat with a lower middle. Similarly, if you are a fast bowler you should look for a cricket bowling boot with greater ankle support.
Please do not underestimate the time spent at this stage of the process as it is the most important. Speak in detail with your retailer to ensure they fully understand your style of play and requirements before advising you on what kit to purchase. After all, there is no point picking out a cricket bat that on the surface looks like a beast, but is too heavy that you can’t swing it etc.
Recap - when you choose your cricket kit it must suit your game. Even though Joe Root is your hero, and you wish you could bat like him (we all do), his latest New Balance bat may not have the best blade profile to suit your play.
You have picked a brand (or mixture of brands), and you fully understand your style of play and requirements. Next, you need to select the right model that not only suits your style of play but also fits within your budget.
Brands have families, for example, Kookaburra has the Kahuna, Ghost and Beast (to name a few). Within those families, there will be different products/models, all at different price points which will help you to select the cricket kit that best suits your budget.
As we have mentioned throughout, model and price are directly related to performance. Let's look at some examples:
Cricket Bats - Each brand family will have different models of cricket bat which are determined by the grade of willow used. The higher the grade of willow, the better the performance and the more you pay.
Confused? Let's break it down further...
Within the Kookaburra range (for 2022), we have 4 families; Kahuna, Ghost, Beast and Rapid. Each of those families will have a cricket bat available in different models related to the different grades of willow, thus hitting different price points. For example:
Kookaburra Kahuna Pro (Players’ Quality – Specially Selected Grade 1 English Willow)
Kookaburra Kahuna 1.1 (Premium Grade 1 English Willow)
Kookaburra Kahuna 2.1 (Grade 2 English Willow)
Kookaburra Kahuna 3.1 (Grade 3 English Willow)
Kookaburra Kahuna 4.1 (Grade 4 English Willow)
Batting Pads & Gloves - within each brand family, you will find batting pads and gloves at different price points. This is dictated by the level of protection, comfort and materials used. For example, an entry-level glove may not have as much padding as a top-level glove, nor the same level of breathability and comfort.
Don't Get Caught Out - If you are looking to buy your kit from the same family, it is worth noting that not all families have bats, pads and gloves in every range.
Bats are different to what they used to be. They have lower middles, higher middles, and middle middles. Confused? Well, in short, bat profiles have changed, they are not flat and straight anymore, now they have bigger sweet spots, and they are made from air-dried willow and have thinner handles. You have no excuse if you do not score runs now.
A lot of online companies offer a knocking-in service for your new bat. Instead of you spending all that time indoors bashing the bat with a bat mallet, now you can pay a machine to do it for you.
Thigh pad design has been given a revamp, and you may have seen the all-in-one, outer thigh and inner thigh pads from Aero, known as strippers. The advantage of all-in-one lower body protectors over older models is that they give you a fuller range of protection across both legs in one product, which fits snug to your body.
Since New Balance, a footwear specialist company, came into the marketplace the other brands have upped their game in the cricket footwear market. Giving customers another good footwear option to choose from. With lightweight cushioning throughout, breathable materials in the uppers, shoes designed to reduce stress in joints, and hard-wearing soles for use on grass pitches and astroturf nets, cricket shoe technology has advanced significantly.
Grips are changing all the time from ribbed to chevron to dimpled and pimpled. Dual tone grips are becoming popular with brands where one end of the grip is different to the other.
Cricket Batting Gloves have seen a few modifications. Do you remember the incredibly old green spiked gloves? If you do, you're showing your age! The sausage finger shape followed them. Then along came a square finger shape with more breaks allowing for the fingers to bend more comfortably. Where once we had open palms, you now have leather palms and on the top-of-the-range gloves, a Pittard leather palm is used (which is soft and very grippy). Just recently the wrist band Velcro attachment has moved from the front of the wrist to the back of the wrist, and on some junior batting gloves, there is no velcro attachment at all, they just pull on.
In days gone by, you may have carried your coffin to the match (if you are old enough to remember them) or you borrowed kit from the club kit bag. These days you can wheel your bag or more recently the current trend is to carry a duffle bag.
What will choose to do: carry it or wheel it?
Finally, the grill on the helmet is now fixed and in a standardised position by law to British Standard BS7928:2013. The key features of BS7928:2013 taken from the ECB website are:
All new helmets are made this way and you may need to consider upgrading your old one. Stem guards are now available on most if not all models of helmets since the tragic accident that befell Phil Hughes. They provide additional protection for the neck and the back of the head.
You might head straight to the cheapest retailer, and why wouldn’t you? However, do make sure that you find out what their customer service is like before you buy. The last thing you want is to have bought a bat, and it breaks, and you find the retailer is unwilling to help you have it returned to the manufacturer and/or repaired.
When you purchase both online & in-store from Serious Cricket, you will receive a year’s warranty on your equipment. Please keep your receipts as they will be required as proof of purchase should you have any problems with your kit.
If you have a question about a broken bat or a tear in a glove, speak directly to a retailer. They will ask you to pop into the store so they can assess the damage, and if you do not live locally to a store, you can e-mail pictures in.
Top Tip – search for reviews on the retailer you will be dealing with. Trustpilot or Feefo are an excellent place to start.
The old saying is true “if you look after your kit it will look after you”. Keeping your kit clean and tidy, will help it last longer. Don’t chuck it in your bag and then in your car at the end of the game or the end of the season.
It is either roasting hot or freezing cold in those early season matches. With the cold usually comes the wet and that means boots will get dirty, studs will go missing, pads will get marks on them, and you can get damp ball marks on your bat with moisture getting into the toe when you are tapping your bat at the crease.
Keep a check on your equipment mid-season too. You may have to send your bat off for a repair, bags do split with more use, and those zips can come off when you are in rush! You can find holes in your gloves from lots of use and studs can wear down to the nub and need replacing.
Post-season, wipe down your cricket pads with a wet cloth to help to keep the dirt at bay. If left it can rot the stitching throughout the winter.
Make sure you don't store your kit where it is too hot or cold. Wood is a natural substance that needs to breathe, and storing your bat inside the house with the central heating on will dry it out, which will shorten its lifespan. Likewise, the central heating can dry out your leather gloves too.
Several online retailers offer bat repair services and maintenance services, and it is worth sending them your bat, and/or your spare bat, for some TLC at the end of every season.
Spare bats are useful when you have problems with your favourite cricket bat. Make sure you have one ready if your main bat breaks.
Best of luck with your search for new cricket equipment. Of course, if you have any further questions, please do get in touch with our team - chris@serioussport.co.uk.
