Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Your Kit => Topic started by: 19reading87 on November 18, 2016, 11:49:40 AM
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I'm not sure if many of you had ever noticed, but I like buying pads... expensive ones at that. They always have to be top top level pads too! "Test level" protection.
Now, a question for you all? What level of protection pads and gloves do you really need? Regardless of cost and looks, does the standard you play at warrant the standard of softs you own?
For me, to answer my own question is gloves, yes! For me I'll always buy the highest level of gloves as it's so easy to break a digit whilst batting no matter how fast the ball is coming at you so make sure you have good protection on them.
Pads, I'm starting to question this....
Would be good to know what level of softs you actually use, and what you should probably use.
Reds
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Gloves wise im with you
I only buy gloves with inserts as even the "test" ones are just soft foam so I'm not overly confident in them. I have been teased by Dean he is bringing the protective gloves back so may stock up
pad wise I don't care about protection as much as comfort really as im sure most club/first class level pads would be more than protective enough but saying that I have purchased a pair of GN legend pads from Vitas which are top end but only as have been told they are extremely comfy
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Gloves I always go for the highest level of protection available, "Test Standard" as I've broken fingers a couple of times.
I like Sausage fingers where possible, as I feel they offer better protection than splits.
As for pads I usually go for a higher end so I look sponsored because they're made of higher quality materials they tend to last longer (ha, like that bothers me) and feel more comfortable.
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I tend to go for comfort and fit, and the best value overall.
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I definately go for the highest standard of both. I suffer from shin splints - so all the protection possible please. has to be said, I usually only face 130 and under - but it can still hurt! Glove wise I think better safe than sorry. £20 worth a safer feeling in my mind.
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I'm known to be fussy gloves agree to disagree much of the test protection guff is just that...
Gloves I want flexible and tight to my hands.
Now pads top hats and size is what I want I like small pads and I use decent quality ones but look for only the vulnerable areas (under the knee role and calf area.)
Overall fit and feel is more important than quality as you have a bat...
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I tend to go for the top level protection. As others have said gloves seem to be an obvious thing to spend more money on. The same for keeping gloves for me as I know I will get bad knocks, I'd rather minimise the damage.
Leg pads I've had top level and the next grade down, no real difference, I chose them so my kit matched. Even the top ones every now and then when hit full on the pad in the nets don't stop a strong impact sensation (not quite pain but a good thud).
At the moment I can afford the more expensive stuff so I get it, if I have less money I'd probably go for the cheaper stuff. I suppose it is the same as someone who spends a lot of money on clothes etc.
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I think it depends on the standard you play.
If you're playing Sunday friendlies, with a lot of youngsters, then as a basic minimum, your requirements ought to be different from test players facing Steyn, Starc etc.
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As with most of the other responses, gloves I think are important to get as good a level as you can. Fingers are easily broken no matter what level you play at! I will always get high end gloves.
Pads wise, I've increased the level of protection since moving up a level in playing. I'm playing against some guys who have played professionally and felt it more if/when I got hit on the pad (using old Kookas that were 'Premier Club' standard). I changed to Recoil 900s soon after that were 'Test Match' level and I've stuck with that level ever since. I use GN Legends now and they're by far the best pads I've ever owned.
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Agreed on gloves, crap gloves ain't cool.
I buy reasonably expensive pads because they're more comfy with padded straps etc. I know I've said it before, but if someone made a set that were super light, comfy and as non-bulky as possible, I'd be all over it. Not that bothered about protection, all they need to do is stop it actually hurting when you get Shane Watson'ed.
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I think it depends on the standard you play.
If you're playing Sunday friendlies, with a lot of youngsters, then as a basic minimum, your requirements ought to be different from test players facing Steyn, Starc etc.
I like to be safe just in case one of those 13 year olds just making their way in adult cricket bowls at 90mph... ;)
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I like to be safe just on case one of those 13 year olds just making their way in adult cricket bowls at 90mph... ;)
More money than sense comes to mind.
But I like your thinking :D
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What do people call test match protection on the gloves. (or are you just going off what the description says),
Funny but it is branded about a lot I love BAS players gloves which are simple and not overly obtrusive on your hands like some stormtrooper gloves where you feel your hands are miles from the bat.
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I did buy some GM OLE Sponsored players pads, just because I could. They were light, very well made and felt they could stop anything. The trouble for me was their bulk. It felt like I had two wheelie bins in front of me. I now use Puma Flex pads with the additional velcro padding taken out. You do feel it when you get hit but it is a gentle reminder to focus. I also have Kook players pads as spare (as you do) and they seem to offer the protection without the bulk.
Thigh pads are SFoxes which were seen as an man math investment. Personalised comfort and long lasting. The protection is a bonus.
Gloves are Ayrteks because they looked the best value for the money. Great feel and protection. I have also the Kook players just because I wanted to try the kangaroo leather.
Helmet is a Albion Ultimate 98. Very comfy and I've played around various grilles and have found a nice balance between vision and gap. The grille is titanium because I was able to get one cheap. That's the only reason honest. ;)
Edit - Er, @19reading87 Reds , I sold the OLE pads to you. How did you get on with them?
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I did buy some GM OLE Sponsored players pads, just because I could. They were light, very well made and felt they could stop anything. The trouble for me was their bulk. It felt like I had two wheelie bins in front of me. I now use Puma Flex pads with the additional velcro padding taken out. You do feel it when you get hit but it is a gentle reminder to focus. I also have Kook players pads as spare (as you do) and they seem to offer the protection without the bulk.
Thigh pads are SFoxes which were seen as an man math investment. Personalised comfort and long lasting. The protection is a bonus.
Gloves are Ayrteks because they looked the best value for the money. Great feel and protection. I have also the Kook players just because I wanted to try the kangaroo leather.
Helmet is a Albion Ultimate 98. Very comfy and I've played around various grilles and have found a nice balance between vision and gap. The grille is titanium because I was able to get one cheap. That's the only reason honest. ;)
Edit - Er, @19reading87 Reds , I sold the OLE pads to you. How did you get on with them?
You did indeed.... incredible pads! One of my biggest sale regrets!
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What do people call test match protection on the gloves. (or are you just going off what the description says),
Funny but it is branded about a lot I love BAS players gloves which are simple and not overly obtrusive on your hands like some stormtrooper gloves where you feel your hands are miles from the bat.
I have tried on a fair few gloves branded "test" and I wouldn't wear them against spin let alone a Sunday dobber
Just soft foam nothing else so I wonder if they class them as test as test players wear them?. The ones I currently use are vulcans and can honestly say they have highest protection of any glove out there but are a little heavier but you choose your poison
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I'd buy lower grade softs if they looked the same as the "Test" Level protection softs.
No way I'm every going to face 90mph in village standard so don't need the protection. The problem is that often the cheap "Less protective" softs look cheap compared to the expensive option.
So I guess what I'm saying is i buy softs on looks, not protection. You could make the pads out of packing peanuts, if they looks better than the cane alternative, I'm wearing them!
Style over substance.
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I have found that my priorities for this have changed over the years as .....
my age has gone up
the standard i play in has gone down
my family numbers has up
and subsequently my bank balance has gone down!
:D :D :D
all in all it has meant that i have definately 'down graded' my softs (from top of the range etc...) but i don't think i have ever compromised on quality or protection just looked for better deals on a smaller budget.
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I suppose test players still get injuries to the hands so the 'test' gloves can only do so much against the fastest bowling. Maybe wearing them against 70mph means you have a better chance of no injury but maybe it is just how you get hit rather than what is in the way. I don't suppose there is any real way of knowing but if you feel safe and confident why not?
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I use top end gloves or close to as long as they have added finger protection on leading hand as being a wicket keeper I have broke, fractured so many fingers multiple times.
Pads wise I actually normally use mid range due to pads being so dam expensive these days, last season I used B&S and NB kit. B&S on,y did one style which wasn't top end but price was ok so no problem. When it came to NB I refused to pay £80 for rope end pads when the 560 version looked the same and when I viewed them in the shop and hit myself with a mallet they felt ok and were £35
In summary if it's value for money in my opinion I will be this season I'm looking at GM and I can assure you all I win the spending £100 on OLE pads when the 808 looks the same and at decent club level offer enough protection. Anyway I middle most with my bat :(
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i generally go for the best i can afford. rarely do i buy brand new softs at full price.
i have a few awesome pairs and even one pair of players gloves which i have yet to try out.
pads for me are a lot about weight, i wantnice light pads and this comes above protection for me. this usually means i end up with a higher standard set
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I used to buy the top end protection but found everything was getting to bulky
Now buy the low end of the range it may not offer as much protection but still meets British standards
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Surely you go for the best you can afford? I went with VKS Superlites as they were the lightest available in my price range but soon found that I could feel absolutely everything that hit me in the legs and some right on the shins were uncomfortable.
As a result I moved to SS Test pads as they were light, really well protected and super cheap cost about £90 delivered (With two pairs of matching gloves) from India.
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I tend to go for test level pads and gloves, but last season I did face 2 former international quicks and a few county bowlers as well
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[quote author=Calzehbhoy link=topic=40514.msg644827#msg644827 date=1479481284
Surely you go for the best you can afford? I went with VKS Superlites as they were the lightest available in my price range but soon found that I could feel absolutely everything that hit me in the legs and some right on the shins were uncomfortable.
As a result I moved to SS Test pads as they were light, really well protected and super cheap cost about £90 delivered (With two pairs of matching gloves) from India.
[/quote]
For me It's more about comfort and no bulk with gloves find that lots of padding stops me holding the bat where i want also like to feel the hands on the bat handle
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I used to buy the top end protection but found everything was getting to bulky
Now buy the low end of the range it may not offer as much protection but still meets British standards
I might be being thick here, but I wasn't aware there was a standard for softs?
If there is a British Standard, I assume that anything sold (in Britain, by a British retailer) must meet this? If that's the case how low are the standards, with the paper thin slop Sports Direct flog for less than the price of a pint?
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The BS 6183 does exist and is a safety standard for protective cricket equipment such as pads and gloves. But it is not compulsory and to my knowledge the only brand who currently get their softs certified is GM.
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The only level of protection needed is that from us! Perfect for Club and Pro!
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The BS 6183 does exist and is a safety standard for protective cricket equipment such as pads and gloves. But it is not compulsory and to my knowledge the only brand who currently get their softs certified is GM.
It's classified as PP2 which can be self certified as it's not deemed as equipment that is potentially life saving.....arguably anyone who's taken a ball to the knackers might feel differently!
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With gloves I get the best I can get but I've allways used topend gloves and if your fingers get a good blow and get James you will still suffer damage or even a broken finger or even on the end of the thumb look at at Joe roots thumb on bottom hand. I've been on the list of bust fingers in my younger days
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It's classified as PP2 which can be self certified as it's not deemed as equipment that is potentially life saving.....arguably anyone who's taken a ball to the knackers might feel differently!
You could say the box has saved you're future child's life!! 😂😂
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What do people call test match protection on the gloves. (or are you just going off what the description says),
Funny but it is branded about a lot I love BAS players gloves which are simple and not overly obtrusive on your hands like some stormtrooper gloves where you feel your hands are miles from the bat.
Bas players ....real proper 'test level' protection ( for my old arthritic spinning fingers ) , not just a description.
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I'll always go top of the range protection in gloves, helmet and pads. Helmet and gloves because my job involves meeting and engaging people and the occasional royal event and I do a lot of driving. Black eyes, broken noses and bandaged hands do not compliment that work! Also I love playing cricket and I'd rather not be missing any games due to impact injuries, or any for that matter.
Pads leaves some leeway but the top end pads tend to be lighter. Why would you make life harder than it needs to be?!
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I have sacrificed protection levels for weight with my pads and gone for less bulky gloves.
Each to their own, but I am happy with my choice.
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I think you can go over the top with protection my first gloves were little more than cotton inners with strips of green rubber spikes on the back they weren't great protection but did the job.
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So when you see the pros on TV using the gear that isn't the top of the range I assume it is a similar level of protection as the very top of the range? If not, do these players not care, not need it or do they have better stuff with the appearance of the lower stuff in the range?
Can't think of any examples off the top of my head but I'm sure it happens, probably more county one day stuff.
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So when you see the pros on TV using the gear that isn't the top of the range I assume it is a similar level of protection as the very top of the range? If not, do these players not care, not need it or do they have better stuff with the appearance of the lower stuff in the range?
Can't think of any examples off the top of my head but I'm sure it happens, probably more county one day stuff.
I guess that would be based on preference, maybe weight or comfort? Marcus Trescothick used the GN Prestige pads last season, which are classified as 'Premier Club' level so would be interesting to see why.
I know someone who had a GN sponsor package where they had a set budget to spend and decided to go for more pairs of 'lower-end' pads and gloves to ensure they lasted the length of the deal. Obviously could've bought more from their own pocket but decided to get as much as they could balanced with protection.
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I'm quite well known in my club for not batting with a certain bit of protection.... Although I wore it after a promotion into the 1s and got 48 so did wear it towards the end of the season!! I haven't been hit there yet because I've got a cricket bat to use but I'm sure I'll regret it if I do get hit! I'm willing to take that risk for now....
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I have found that my priorities for this have changed over the years as .....
my age has gone up - check
the standard i play in has gone down - check
my family numbers has up - check
and subsequently my bank balance has gone down! - check
All of the above applies to me as well but I always go for some of the best protection I can get hold of. The only compromise I make is on bats, in which case I mostly buy lower grade ones.
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I'm quite well known in my club for not batting with a certain bit of protection.... Although I wore it after a promotion into the 1s and got 48 so did wear it towards the end of the season!! I haven't been hit there yet because I've got a cricket bat to use but I'm sure I'll regret it if I do get hit! I'm willing to take that risk for now....
I'm guessing it's either a helmet, or it's to protect your helmet!
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I'm quite well known in my club for not batting with a certain bit of protection.... Although I wore it after a promotion into the 1s and got 48 so did wear it towards the end of the season!! I haven't been hit there yet because I've got a cricket bat to use but I'm sure I'll regret it if I do get hit! I'm willing to take that risk for now....
Well good luck to you, I saw a good young opposition batsman get hit "amidships" by somebody fairly quick many years ago, and the cry he let out of "I'm not wearing a box" when he was writhing on the floor haunts me to this day...
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Gloves, yes, totally. Always get the best money can buy. Broken fingers are no joke.
Same is true of helmet and box.
Pads I'm less bothered about, as I rarely face anything that is going to cause immense leg pain, but typically, my pads are also fairly high protection. Better safe than sorry I say.
Lastly, if you don't wear a box "because you have a bat in your hands", then frankly, I know a bowler with a ball that will make you wear one.....
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Are you still a Stormtrooper @tim2000s ?
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Are you still a Stormtrooper @tim2000s ?
No - tore the pads covering so gave them to someone deserving. Currently got a nice solid pair of rather traditional Hunts County Turbo pads, you know, to make me run faster....