CRICKET GLOVE GUIDE
In this section, you will read about different types of gloves and their terminologies.
Island Cricket sells some of the best cricket gloves from various brands such as MRF, MB, Kookaburra, SG, SS, Spartan, Adidas etc.
Cricket gloves can be divided into three types based on the cricket players’ usage.
- Cricket Batting gloves
- Cricket Wicket keeping gloves
- Cricket Inner gloves
Batting gloves are used by cricbatsmen during batting period of the cricket game. Batting cricket gloves provide comfort, prevention of blisters, warmth, improved grip, and shock absorption when hitting the cricket ball.
Cricket gloves comes in various sizes such as men size batting glove, youth size batting glove, boys size batting gloves, small boys batting gloves.
Batting gloves can be divided into two profiles.
- Traditional batting gloves
- Modern batting gloves
Traditional batting gloves does not have finger cuts, whereas modern gloves has finger cuts. Traditional cricket gloves have full-length finger padding. They are generally filled with cotton because of which they are heavy by nature.
Modern batting gloves are more flexible and provide advance protection to the hand. Comfort could be considered as a result of a combination from flexibility, feel and ventilation. Modern gloves also comes in traditional shape where they are filled with foam and hence they are lighter by nature.
Batting gloves have finger padding, finger cuts, palm, strap and sweat cuff. The differentiating factor in a batting glove is the material used in palm and finger padding. Cricket Batting gloves have different palm and finger padding material. When having to bat for long periods of time, comfort can be derived from the feel of the batting gloves materials, more particularly that of the material in contact with the palm of the hand.
Finger padding of cricket batting gloves has two materials. They are
- Foam
- Cotton
Foam although light weight provides the same protection as cotton padding. Some modern batting gloves have finger cuts in them. The finger cuts provides extra wrap around the handle, so you get a better grip of the bat. In general, as per price perspective cotton padding is cheaper than foam. Also cotton padding is used more by beginners.
Palm of cricket batting gloves has two materials. They are
- Cotton
- Leather
Cotton palm for cricket batting gloves is the cheapest option. Long periods of play can result in your hands feeling chaffed. In warmer conditions the cotton tends to soak up moisture making the batting gloves uncomfortable and maintaining a good grip very difficult. PVC is used as reinforcement in particularly high wear and tear areas.
Leather palm of cricket batting gloves offers increased comfort and feel, whilst maintaining a high level of durability.
Apart from this some of the common terminology used are straps, sweat cuffs. Straps are used to hold the gloves tightly on the hand. These straps now come with sweat cuff which is used to absorb the sweat from your forehead while playing.
Wicket keeping gloves are used by cricket wicketkeeper during fielding period of the cricket game. Wicket keeping gloves assist cricket players in catching and fielding cricket balls hit by a batsman or thrown by a teammate.
Wicket keeping gloves comes in various sizes such as men size batting glove, youth size batting glove, boys size batting gloves, small boys batting gloves.
The terms which one needs to familiarize in a wicketkeeping gloves is palm lining, palm padding, finger end caps and webbing.
Palm lining of wicket keeping gloves form the area within the wicket keeping glove that makes contact with the palm of the hand. Given that the lining is directly beneath the area that will be used most to catch the cricket ball, it is important that this inner area of the wicket keeping glove is soft and comfortable in order to avoid excessive rubbing and chaffing. The material used in palm lining includes cotton and leather.
Palm padding in wicket keeping gloves is the key to provide you with maximum impact protection, limiting the force transferred through your gloves to your hands in turn providing protection from injury. The padding is also an important factor in making a successful catch, with the shock absorption characteristics helping to slow down the ball and decrease the chance of the cricket ball bouncing out of your hands. The material used in palm padding includes leather and synthetic.
Palm padding can have two different types of surface based on the grip type they provide. One is octopus grip type and the other is pimpled grip type.
Finger end caps provide protection to the ends of fingers which are the most common areas for wicket keepers to incur injuries. The end caps are cylindrical objects, open at one end, designed to fit over the tips of your fingers and built-in to the end of all five glove fingers. Made from a rubbery material or pvc, finger end caps will absorb the worst of any glancing blows.
Webbing on a wicket-keeping gloves is an area of material joining the index finger and thumb which serves as additional surface area with which to catch the ball.
Inner gloves are used by both cricket batsman and wicket keeper. Though Inner gloves is a personal preference for cricket batsman, it is mandatory for cricket wicket keepers. Inner gloves will form the first barrier between your hands and your wicket keeping gloves, offering additional shock absorption, and a snugger fit.
Inner gloves have different materials for the palm.
Cotton Inner gloves is a simple cotton glove that offer improved moisture control and fit.
Cotton Padded Inner gloves are simple Cotton gloves with additional padded sections on the palm and fingers for improved moisture control, fit, and extra shock absorption.
Leather inner gloves provide due to their fantastic moisture absorbency, therefore, offering maximum moisture control and fit on the palm of the hand.