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[dannyhall04]

Evidence was presented a L'boro to the BSI committee showing helmets that appeared a lot like this one failed at 30mph as the peak just isn't rigid enough to prevent the ball passing through hence why Albion have had to go back to the drawing board (like many brands have) to re-design things.

What might feel like a fairly rigid peak changed drastically in structure when a ball hits it at any speed as the slow mo videos show.

Genuine question: why has it taken til 2016 to change that if some failed at a speed some u9s can bowl at? High profile examples of lids breaking on impact?

[avkrish]

Holding the ball Upto it isn't what happens when the ball is travelling at speed, the peak will bend upon impact so the smaller the gap the better. You need to try and get used to the smaller gap if possible as this will provide the best level of protection available should you get pinned.

Exactly what I thought. I have seen a few cases where the ball crashed through the gap and believe me, it is not pretty. You should be able to get used to the smaller gap without much difficulty.

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Yep sorry getting sidetracked.

@FattusCattus I've got a Titanium grille if you did want to try one to see if its not as much of a distraction? You can fit other grills to this helmet as well as @Buzz has done in the past I believe.

[ppccopener]

So, coming back to my problem - that gap is basically as wide as I can get it then?

you need to get a bit of width that will help you, grab hold of the helmet with both hands and pull sharply, that should work

[northernboy1987]

More evidence of why cricket is dying and numbers are dwindling.

Is this kind of behaviour not fairly prevalent in all amateur sports? I'm pretty sure if you played football or rugby or hockey etc. and turned up in fluro yellow boots (for example) you could expect to take some flak from your teammates and the oppo over it. Not saying I agree or disagree with the culture but I certainly don't think it's limited to cricket by any means.

[FattusCattus]

Yep sorry getting sidetracked.

@FattusCattus I've got a Titanium grille if you did want to try one to see if its not as much of a distraction? You can fit other grills to this helmet as well as @Buzz has done in the past I believe.

Is it the colour of the bars that would make it less of a distraction?

[Buzz]

Yes Fattus an Ayrtek grille will fit this lid.
they work well.

As for colour - you could just spray paint it a different colour, grey would work.

I have some gold spray paint if you want for entertainment value.



The reality is that you need to get it into your head to watch the ball starting at some point in the bowlers run up rather than watching the grille of your lid

[liscon12]

Is this kind of behaviour not fairly prevalent in all amateur sports? I'm pretty sure if you played football or rugby or hockey etc. and turned up in fluro yellow boots (for example) you could expect to take some flak from your teammates and the oppo over it. Not saying I agree or disagree with the culture but I certainly don't think it's limited to cricket by any means.

I got rinsed at one of my clubs for brining one of my bats at match day because the bat was inside a full length padded bat cover.

[Boondougal]

Exactly what I thought. I have seen a few cases where the ball crashed through the gap and believe me, it is not pretty. You should be able to get used to the smaller gap without much difficulty.

As with all of his threads this is an interesting one @FattusCattus

I'm with @Ayrtek in that should you get hit with the ball in that area the deformation to the peak probably means that you don't want that gap to be any less than what it is now. If you want to use that helmet then a more neutral grill might be better.

i guess the other way of looking at it is.... It sounds to me you haven't used a helmet up until now. Like many of us you have decided to give it a go. On the balance of probability widening the gap will still make you less likely to get injured as a result of a ball hitting you in the face and head area. it just leaves you open to a proportion of the risk you previously had.

Having said that, i see pictures of people banged up because the ball has gone through the grill but less pictures of the result of a face smash not wearing a helmet... i guess they are just less un expected.

Obviously i prefer to wear a helmet and would not want the risk of the ball going through but it does seem that the grill and peak sort of "collect the ball" and its basically go no where to go and gets channelled into the face. Maybe the same ball wouldn't cause the same damage if no helmet was being worn... it would have more chance to "glance off"

On balance i appreciate a helmet will be safer and i will always be wearing one from now on but it does go to show how important it is to keep developing the technology. A helmet is better than no helmet but there is always risk.. its just to what level you are happy with or more often the difference between how safe you think you are v how good / bad the design really is at keeping you safe.

[Boondougal]

Yes Fattus an Ayrtek grille will fit this lid.
they work well.

As for colour - you could just spray paint it a different colour, grey would work.

I have some gold spray paint if you want for entertainment value.

The reality is that you need to get it into your head to watch the ball starting at some point in the bowlers run up rather than watching the grille of your lid

Chrome... if these footballers can chrome their car surly @FattusCattus  can get his helmet chromed up. could also be a useful bowling and fielding distraction on that rare occasion the sun comes out!

[edge]

I sprayed an Albion lid yellow once and wrapped the lower part of the grill in yellow tape as part of a Cool Runnings fancy dress outfit. Looked brilliant, couldn't pick the ball up at all!