Just been tidying up, and found tons of gloves lying around, so figured I'd just do a quick observation on gloves. I find that gloves are definitely overlooked by folk in our club, in terms of protection and comfort. (Got plenty happy enough to get gloves just based on looks) I think you should always go for ones which offer the most protection at your budget!
From the top row, left to right: Vulcan sausage finger gloves x2, Vulcan split finger gloves and Vantage split finger gloves. (2012)
Middle row, from left to right: SS LE gloves x2, SS Gladiator gloves and high quality unbranded gloves.
Bottom row, from left to right: Gray Nicolls Legend gloves, Kahuna 1000 gloves (2012), Kahuna Pro Players gloves (2012 or 2013) and Puma Calibre 5000 gloves.
Observations:
Out of the 2 sausage fingered gloves, the SS LE are the better pair. They seem to provide better protection, and seem to be more flexible and shape quicker too!
In terms of flexibility of the split gloves, only the Gray Nicolls seemed to be poor in this area. Order of flexibility: GN < Calibre < Kahuna < Gladiator < Vulcan/Vantage < Unbranded gloves
The Puma Calibre gloves are very comfortable gloves, as are the Vulcan and Vantage split fingered ones.
GN Legend gloves are decent gloves, but for the money, they're really not worth it... They don't offer the best protection out of this bunch, nor do they offer the best comfort or flexibility. They don't even have Pittard palms, although I think that's changing for next season!
The Kahuna Pro compared to the 1000s: Have additional protection on the first two splits of the thumb. Have a different pittard palm. Have additional protection on the same splits as the 1000s, but in the splits without the additional protection, the foam seems to be slightly more dense. The additional protection may also be of a slightly higher quality. (1000s are a very good glove, were top of the range back in 2012) Not a massive difference in terms of build quality, etc etc, but it is noticeable.
I personally prefer Pittards leather palms over calf or sheepskin leather. Because I tend to use chevron grips, calf or sheepskin leather palms become a nightmare when I stay in long enough to have sweaty hands, or it rains! (Remember my bat slipping out my hands on a rainy day once before I started using Pittards, and I was using an octopus grip!) Also find that they feel slightly more comfortable and stay supple for longer.
Kahuna Pro Players gloves are probably the best of the lot in terms of protection. Probably the best overall glove too, but then again, they're the only Pro glove of the lot!
The Vantage ones are my brother's. He's used them for 2 seasons, so he either looks after them very well, doesn't get sweaty hands, or just doesn't stay in long enough to wear them down much! (The third factor probably affects this the most!)
The SS gloves are all Indian Mens size, which are more of a Small Mens in size. Not sure if the TON range sold in the UK is the same.
I guess a lot of the observations aren't massively helpful, as a lot of this is personal preference. Also, a lot of these gloves have been discontinued, but the designs are still out there. ie. Kahuna designs are pretty much identical to this:
http://onlinestockist.com/SG-VS-319-Ultimate-Cricket-Batting-Gloves-P123150.aspxNone of these gloves have cost me more than £40. (Bought a few second hand!) I think the Kahuna 1000s actually cost me the most. If you look carefully, especially towards the end of the season, you can always find bargains all around. Personally, I don't think you should have to spend more than £60 for a top quality pair of gloves, but of course, the big companies will think otherwise. (Kookaburra Players - £105 RRP. GN Legend - £95 RRP) The pair I currently use for pretty much all nets and matches are the SS LE, which have lasted me the season. Very good pair of gloves, and I think they cost me around £25-30.
In the end, it is your hand and your fingers you are protecting, so I would always try get the best protection available at your budget. Yes, we don't all face 90mph+ bowling, but your hands are important! Keep a look out for bargains, especially at the end of the season! (ie. Now!) You don't need the top top top protection available, but do your research and see what kind of protection will be more than adequate for the pace of bowling you face.
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