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[thecord]

I have become addicted to trying out new gear since joining the forum last year (sound familiar?!) and when new forum sponsors Blenheim Cricket were looking for someone to review their new keeping gear I could not resist.
Communication with Gus at Blenheim was all very smooth by email and despit having to wait a little longer than normal due to the Bank Hols the gear arrived today. Extra bonus points for arriving when the Mrs was at work 



Inside the parcel were a pair of very smart Blenheim Cricket branded bags with the gloves and pads. I always keep my gear in these bags if provided as it helps keep your kit tidy and I think they are a nice touch.





The gear inside the branded bags was wrapped up in additional plastic bags with red tie cords so you could even keep the branded bags nice and clean if you used these as well.



Anyway, that's enough about packaging, on to the gear itself. I will start with the gloves which are very smart in white and black. They fit very well with the classical Blenheim image. The design is similar to the Gray-Nicholls gloves currently on the market but does not feature mesh ventilation on the backs. They have a very light weight feel, almost like a goalkeeper's glove but still seem to offer good protection at first glance. The palms are octopus style as per most top gloves these days.



The picture makes the padded cuff section seem short but this is really only due to the quite solid horizontal section with the brand name on. I have not seen a solid bolster like this on gloves before and it will be interesting to see if it affects their feel and protection.
Here are a couple of close ups of the gloves:




When comparing them to my other gloves there are no huge differences size wise although these have T-web whereas my SS and Ayrtek gloves have a traditional web design. They are slightly narrower than the Ayrtek and the thumb is more angled which helps to enlarge the catching area. Here are some pictures for comparison:




I can dig out my old Puma's as well to compare if anyone is interested 

The gloves feel good on although I have not yet had chance to try them out. I may get a few balls thrown at me tonight if the weather holds out...probably not then.
Quality of materials and stitching seems good, comparable with other brands at least.

I will make another post for the pads in case the forum crashes on me and I lose everything!

[Colesy]

Look decent mate, like the look of the pads more than the gloves. There are certain aspects of your gloves that if combined would be perfect.

Hope you get on well with them

[thecord]

Now for the pads. I make no secret of the fact that I have worn Puma FXT style (stormtrooper) pads for several years now so these Blenheim numbers will be a marked departure from what I am used to as they are far more traditional.
They look smart, feel as though high quality materials have been used and feel comfortable on with nice straps.





I was interested to see how they compared weight wise to my Puma Calibre 5000 so got the scales out. The Pumas weight 421g each and these are 589g so quite a difference. They do not feel heavy on though and I certainly get the impression that they will offer better protection. The acid test will be when wearing in matches to see whether I find them heavy and bulky on a hot Saturday in the field. Or my likely a cold, windy and damp day!

I will be using these at the start of the season and will post an update in a couple of months time to give my opinions on the products. If there are any questions in the meantime then fire away.

[thecord]

Look decent mate, like the look of the pads more than the gloves. There are certain aspects of your gloves that if combined would be perfect.

Hope you get on well with them

I think you are probably right there Colesy, a hybrid design further down the line may well be the way forward.

[legger123]

I'm no wicket keeper, but I quite like the look of the gloves

[Spanky]

Gloves remind me of the Chase R11 keeping gloves.

[thecord]

Agreed, just taken another look at those and very similar

[roco]

Must say in liking a lot with these guys

[PedalsMcgrew]

Gloves remind me of the Chase R11 keeping gloves.

They are very, very similar....

The pads look a little like last years Chase 175 keeping pads too although I don't have a picture to hand so I could be mistaken....