And then, what can you get for as little as you possibly can but still have a decent set of kit. This time, I went for new kit, (with the exception of the bat) and tried to spend as little as possible.
The bill of materials reads as follows:
Pads and gloves by Passion (
www.essentials99.com) - £15: these were incredibly cheap, and actually seem to be of decent quality. They are Pakistan made and apparently have cane and HDF filling in the pads and Kapok filling in the gloves. Putting them on and beating them with the ball on the stick from the other set, I'd suggest that these have decent protection. The gloves, while not making Puma shiver in fright are perfectly acceptable for a decent level of club cricket and I wouldn't be unhappy wearing them. For fifteen quid, I'd say that you can't go wrong. They are actually a decent product at a great price.
CA Padman Shorts including Inner and Outer thigh pad and box - £14.98: all in one for box, thighpad and inner thigh pad. Came from Task Sports who seem to provide a lot of cheap Pakistani imports. It would do a job, but nowhere near as protective as Strettons or Aero Strippers. Very much club cricket protection.
Ihsan Inferno 950 helmet (which looks a lot like an Albion Club to me) - £9.99: Surprised me by fitting pretty well, I think this is a cheap Albion that, while not feeling quite as protective as some of the other Albion, Masuri or Ayrtek shells, would suffice and should stop serious harm coming to you.
Duffle bag by Joshila - £10: A cheap duffel, I think it would probably last a season, and there are no bells and whistles. Put kit in and carry it.
Kookaburra Rogue 200 from eBay - £22.50: A 2012 Rogue 200 with a face sheet. I love the sticker on the side saying "Unbleached willow" when you can't see the face. The bat seems to rebound decently. I'd say it is properly knocked in. It could do with a bit of a clean up, but I don't think there's anything at all wrong with this, and it's got a couple of good seasons left in it.
The pictures of the kit are below:
One we've seen before...
And here's the kit:
The total bill for this comes to £62.50 as mentioned previously. Once postage is included (£18.39), the bill for this lot is £80.89, postage included. Suitably under the £100 limit.
Proof below: