Getting Started

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Ali23

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Getting Started

Hello everyone.

This is my first post, so I'll quickly introduce myself before I get right into the nitty gritty parts of my post.

My name is Ali. I'm a 22 year old University Student from Surrey.

Now that's taken care of, I would love it if any of you could help me with equipment.

I haven't played cricket in a long time, 16 actually and myself and a few friends are getting back into it this Summer. I'm completely outdated with all the gear from bats to helmets.

I pretty much need everything, but haven't got a clue where to start.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,

Ali
 
Re: Getting Started

Hello and welcome to the site!

What would you like advice on? What kit to actually get or brands and styles etc?
 
Re: Getting Started

Thanks for the welcome. Pretty much everything. I'm starting off from a fresh. It's been so long since I've played the game, I feel I'm completely outdated and have no clue which bats are better than others.

Preferably I'd like to get some advice on what kit to get and what's better than others. Or does it depend on your style?
 
Re: Getting Started

In terms of soft leather goods (gloves and pads etc) then it is largely down to personal choice. There are subtle differences but mostly they're cosmetic (especially at the level most of us play at). All I would recommend is trying a few pairs on and see how they feel - although bear in mind that pads will often feel a bit stiff when new. Gloves also have a tendency to feel 'big' until they've been worn few a hours and have moulded to your hand.

As for bats, again it is largely based on personal choice although there are a few more things to consider. For example, are you a slogger or a more classically styled batsman. Do you want a bat with a low sweet spot, in the middle or higher up and so on.

One of the major things to consider is the weight and pick up of the bat (or the 'balance' of the bat). Some want a heavy bat, others a light one etc. This is why it's a really good idea to buy your bat in person or at least get a chance to pick a few up and see how they feel.

Lastly, where do you bat and how much do you want to spend - if you bat at 11 then you might be better off getting a cheaper bat as opposed to spending £200 plus on one.

In terms of actual kit then I'd say you'd need the following at a minimum:

Bat
Pads
Gloves
Box
Thigh Pad (a lot of people use all in one shorts which hold the box and thigh pad)
Spikes

A helmet is also worth considering but is not an essential imo (although most people have one nowadays).

Any other kit is largely up to you (chest or arm guard for example).

It is hard to recommend brands first off as people often have personal favourites. I like and use Grey Nicholls but others will swear by GM, Slazenger, Fusion and any number of manufacturers. Have a browse of their sites and see what takes your fancy - post back here and someone will generally give their opinion of whether it's good or bad.
 
Re: Getting Started

I would say that I'm a bit of both with regards to the more classic batsman and an all out slogger, but once again it's been over six years since I last played competitively that I could probably learn from scratch quite easily.

I've always been an all rounder, around 4 or 5 down the order so I'm most likely willing to spend around £125 on a bat, maybe £150 if the right one comes along.

Here's the list I'm looking to get:

Bat,
Bag,
Gloves,
Thigh pad,
All in one shorts,
Pads,
Helmet,
Arm Guard
Box
Spikes
 
Re: Getting Started

Most bat companies will have bats that have different characteristics. Without seeing you play, I'd say get one which is aimed at those with an all round game. Seeing as you bat 4/5/6 you may have to play a number of roles and adapt to the game situation.
 
Re: Getting Started

If I could offer a tip, it would be to bat a few times on a couple of different days in the nets with a borrowed bat or two.

That way you can work out which shots you have after the amount of years gone by, which are your favourite, which ones you lack in, how to improve them if you want to (if you lack a cut shot then it is not fully necessary for you to improve on it fully, when you could just leave the ball and get away with it for example) and overally assess how you are playing.

I play a lot of fine shots on the offside with powerful cover drives, a baseball style pull shot that goes straight down the ground, and a powerful traditional pull shot. I am a terrible on and mid wicket driver and couldn't flick off my pads to save my life. Therefore I go for lighter bats for the finesse of late cutting, have a low middle because I have gone from one region with bouncy pitches to one with dead pitches, and now I am hitting a deader spot on my old high middle bat consistently, and one with a fairly low weighted balance.

That is how I pick my bats, through the shots I play.
 
Re: Getting Started

Thanks for the advice Boris. Well it's still off season at the moment here in England. The snow has just started to melt finally, so now just having a look at the different clubs I want to join that have good enough facilities.

What bat(s) do you bat with?
 
Re: Getting Started

Ali23;384856 said:
Thanks for the advice Boris. Well it's still off season at the moment here in England. The snow has just started to melt finally, so now just having a look at the different clubs I want to join that have good enough facilities.

What bat(s) do you bat with?
Click to expand...

Thank mas, he is the 'expert' if you could call it that on this sort of thing.

I myself go for anything with a Kookaburra sticker on it. Not sure how common that is over there, but they are very fine bats, even the cheaper ones I have found come out on top of other brands. That is personal opinion though.

I had a Kookaburra Wild Beast, my second was Kahuna (favourite bat that I have used ever) and now I have a cheapish Genesis.

My batting has come along in leaps and bounds, and I attribute a lot of that to the Kahuna I owned, so bats can really change your game if you look to invest wisely. Not the most expensive, but just borrow a couple of mates for the first couple of net sessions and even a game or two. Try out as many as you can and just see what you like. It's nothing hard, what you are aiming for is to not notice your bat is there. If you don't notice it, then it is doing nothing wrong. It's only when you start to find you can't lift it quick enough or start thinking about it that is the problem.
 
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