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[WalkingWicket37]

Off topic slightly but anyone know why sangakarra has the two front vent holes covered up?

Something to do with the size of the embroidered logo being bigger than the gap between the vents, and not cutting into the embroidery I'd imagine, but just a guess.

[iand123]

Pretty sure other SL players had it though. Looked like it had been re-clothed over the holes from what I saw

[edge]

It's an option on the helmets iirc

[KarlPennington]

I'm glad to see this. Masuri where criticised immediately after the Phil Hughes incident for towing the line of 'Our helmets meet the safety requirements but we cant guarantee 100% protection from injury, blah, blah'

This shows that they have genuinly reacted to a tragic incident, accepted the stem of the neck is a vulnerable area for cricketers and looked for a solution.

I'll be investing as soon as they are available.

On a side note why is there a bravado about wearing/not wearing helmets and why is there so much disagreement about improving helmets for added safety.

If people want to prove their toughness go out to bat without a thigh guard or something... Why are people happy to protect other less vulnerable areas and reluctant to protect their heads!!!!!!! Madness.

[Stumper]

I'm glad to see this. Masuri where criticised immediately after the Phil Hughes incident for towing the line of 'Our helmets meet the safety requirements but we cant guarantee 100% protection from injury, blah, blah'

This shows that they have genuinly reacted to a tragic incident, accepted the stem of the neck is a vulnerable area for cricketers and looked for a solution.

I'll be investing as soon as they are available.

On a side note why is there a bravado about wearing/not wearing helmets and why is there so much disagreement about improving helmets for added safety.

If people want to prove their toughness go out to bat without a thigh guard or something... Why are people happy to protect other less vulnerable areas and reluctant to protect their heads!!!!!!! Madness.

I could not agree more with you regarding why some choose not to wear a helmet?. Why take the chance, you do not have to face express pace to be in danger, you can get equally injured from a slow plodder by top edging into your head, seen it happen on more than one occasion. The only guys that seem not to wear helmets in my team always are Asian players?? especially Indians.

[jwebber86]

Not many players at my club wear helmets. Most of them at a bit older age have never worn one and won't now which is understandable.

The other half have grown up wearing helmets and are the opposite way round

[iand123]

Few people I play with say no one at our level is remotely quick enough to wear a lid against. Whilst true it's not just that which comes into the equation for me. Dodgy pitches are dangerous at my low level so as mentioned above would always wear a lid, why take the risk?

[iand123]

Also interesting to hear from our Aussie members how this has been received?

[WalkingWicket37]

Few people I play with say no one at our level is remotely quick enough to wear a kid against. Whilst true it's not just that which comes into the equation for me. Dodgy pitches are dangerous at my low level so as mentioned above would always wear a lid, why take the risk?

No kids, what about wearing a hemet though? 

[iand123]

fat fingers on phone and not proof reading before I post there, what a muppet!

[WalkingWicket37]

And while we're on the subject of wearing a lid, there seems to be two distinct groups in my club, with a third category that I hate seeing people fall into.

1) The I've never worn a helmet so why should I start now brigade. I've never seen our 2nd XI skipper wear a lid, and that has been against some bowlers with serious wheel!

2) The I've always worn a helmet so will continue to do so brigade. I grew up having to wear a lid, as did the majority of players I play with on a regular basis. Batting without a helmet feels foreign to me, something they agree with me on.

3) The I wish I'd been wearing a helmet brigade. Top edges into teeth, bouncers they watch onto their nose, you get the idea. They wear a helmet now, but always wish they'd taken up wearing one sooner.

[six and out]

I will throw another question out there that has always interested me - at what point is it ok to (or do you) take your helmet off?

I ask this because I have a scar on my chin from the only time I have been hit when I top edged a sweep off a spinner - I had been wearing my lid and was on 40 odd spinners were on so I took it off.

[WalkingWicket37]

I will throw another question out there that has always interested me - at what point is it ok to (or do you) take your helmet off?

I ask this because I have a scar on my chin from the only time I have been hit when I top edged a sweep off a spinner - I had been wearing my lid and was on 40 odd spinners were on so I took it off.

Either to stop for a drinks break or when I've finished batting.
For the exact reason you've posted I won't risk it any more. When I'd just turned 18 I went through a phase of not wearing a helmet (just the novelty of not having to) and never felt 100% confident at the crease, to the extent I wouldn't play the step which is one of my favourite shots.

[Parkman]

I think the safer the game can be, the better & I've seen more head injuries from rubbish shots than quick bowling, but... Am I the only one thinking that you shouldn't turn away from the ball. If you keep your eye on it you stand less chance of being hit on the side or back of your head.

[edge]

Bravado? Nah. Plenty of people don't wear cycling helmets (although whole different can of worms) - some people just don't like wearing a lid. I've played with/against plenty young enough that they grew up having to wear one and still prefer batting without. What's an acceptable risk is different for different people, no point getting righteous about it when it's not your head that's affected.

As for taking it on/off, either wear one or don't? This was definitely reinforced at one point when an opposition opener took his off after 2 overs on the bounciest track I've ever played on... He wasn't that amused when I broke his glasses next ball!
For me, 99% of the time if you're batting properly at club level (i.e. no blind panic turning away from the ball), the only way you're gonna get hit in the head is if you hit it into your own head. Have happily faced properly quick bowlers without a helmet, on other days have felt the need to put one on. I never used to wear one until I smashed a top edge off a beamer into my eyebrow a few seasons back (results below!). Still trying to get myself happy wearing a lid but remain convinced I bat better without one.