Print

[Timbo]

Hi all -

Does anyone strap their fingers and thumbs before wicketkeeping to help prevent injury and give support? If so how is it done and what is the best way to do it? During the SA v ENG test matches I have seen Mark Boucher with taping around his finger joints. I suffered from bad thumb impact injurys last season and hope someone has some ideas for me

Cheers

[Jamieh]

Hi Timbo,
I can only talk about what I used to do "back in the day" when I used to keep (long since retired, as in mid 30's now!). I used to wear a couple of pairs of inners, bottom pair quite thin and cotton to help with sweaty hands. Then over the top i had a pair that I used to tape around the joints. Not every finger, just the one's i knew I had problems with, mainly my little and ring fingers and left thumb. I personally didn't like to tape my fingers directly as I found it made them sweaty and uncomfortable.

I used to get a sore point at that bottom of my left thumb and between my first finger, and to solve this i used to put some additional plaster tape in the webbing of my hands over the inner glove as the elastoplast had a little cushioning effect (quite tricky to explain, but hope that makes sense!). Apart from that I think it's a bit of a risk of the job, and you have to expect sore and busted fingers I'm afraid, and don't forget "chicks dig scars!" ha ha.