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[Box]

Hi I have recently decided to get back into cricket after a few years of playing it on and off due to taking a nasty one in the face and breaking my nose. The problem I have is that with a lid I lose the ball frequently and without one I struggle to get on my front foot properly, as anyone got any advice or do I just need a can of man up? Thanks.

[Joe]

Wear a helmet and keep practising until you can play properly with one on.

[Nickauger]

Yeah mate, get over it lol, either get used to wearing a lid or spend every innings worried about getting hit on the head lol. Welcome to the forum by the way.

[Manormanic]

also get your eyes tested - struggling with a lid could be a sign that your vision is compromised.

[Buzz]

I think you may be blaming the lid for you not watching the ball properly.

definitely wear one.

practice with a tennis ball, have someone under arming the ball at you, and just concentrate on the ball and play your shots

[Box]

I agree that I am probably not watching it well enough, but without the lid I was finding it much easier to play. So is that just because thats what I am used to doing?

[PedalsMcgrew]

For what it's worth i only started wearing a helmet last season having played all my cricket (some of it at a pretty decent level) without one. Luckily I never actually wore won in the mush but it was definitely going to happen, be it a bumper or a top edge. I always hated the feeling of wearing a helmet and it took me a while to get used to it. Now I am used to it I wouldn't consider batting without it.....

Get yourself a lid, get in the nets and practice with it...like everything, the more you practice the more it becomes second nature...

[Played and Missed]

All players are different. It's up to you. I would say wear and a helmet and maybe adjust the grill to make it larger, so you can see out of it.

A guy at my club never wears a helmet, even though he's faced some quick bowlers.

Eg. Ryan Watkins (Ex-Glamorgan)

[Simmy]

used to hate wearing a lid cos i couldnt focus on ball proper,

got an ayrtek and vision was much better GET ONE!

[Box]

I was thinking of getting one, just if it give me the confidence to play a little better.

[acko109]

it definately gives you more confidence to pull one off your nose if your wearing a lid

[Box]

I have never minded pulling in front of my nose helmet or no helmet... Also thanks everyone for the advice.

[cricketbadger]

older bloke at my club about 38,class player, never wears a lid and last year in my first season he got hit twice, once in the jaw that decked him, got up and kept playing. second time he ducked,hit him on top of head and went for 4 and he was fine. this year hes after a helmet but doesnt want or like a grill due to it restricting his view, so hes currently in the process of sawing the grill off of an old helmet and it gonna potentially wear that with just the protection down the side of the face like the old helmets.

[Box]

The real problem is not the fear of being hit, or in fact being hit, but getting my feet moving with the lid on. (Being hit is slightly inconvenient hence why I decided to wear a lid).

[bigbenh99]

I split my head open taking one to the head, tons of blood and 6 hours in A&E and now I always wear one, the best thing to do is just practice until you're used to it. I was lucky as it was only a mild inconvenience, getting butterfly strips put on and wearing a dressing on my forehead for a fortnight that looked like I'd just had a (No Swearing Please) amputated from there. However, if it'd been into my teeth I'd be looking at several thousand pounds cosmetic dentistry repairs. Definitely advise wearing a lid!