About equipment

Club kit for new members (summer)

We currently have a limited supply of a few sets of batting kit in various sizes which can initially be used by new joiners while still deciding whether to continue . This includes bats, pads, gloves and helmets. Also, nearly all players are more than happy to share their kit with new members and coaches will help to facilitate this if needed.

What kit should players have? (spring & summer 2023)

Under 7s & below (school years 1-2)

• Any sports clothing will do, but ideally clothing that covers legs and elbows (white cricket trousers and shirts are actually quite cheap and practical)

• We will supply some plastic ‘kwik cricket’ bats at training which we prefer the kids to use as the lightness helps to develop good batting technique and they are less dangerous. However, players may bring their own bat if they wish, and many kids do want to own a bat and enjoy bringing it with them. Training will probably be with a mixture of tennis balls and 'incrediballs' (slightly heavier and harder than a tennis ball, with a woven seam), so helmets and padding are not necessary, but the 'incrediballs' can hurt a bit, so many players like to wear batting gloves.

• Please notes that if a U6 or U7 plays a league match for the U8s, then he/she will of course need the same clothing and protective gear as the U9s.

Under 8s and 9s (school years 3-4)

• Cricket trousers, cricket shirt

• Generally most U9s players don’t play in full protective kit, but some like to wear batting gloves

Under 10s (year 5) and upwards play with a hard ball and should bring the following to every training session and match

• Cricket trousers, cricket shirt

• Helmet

• Pads

• Gloves

• Abdo-guard with appropriate underwear - boys only; these are also still commonly called a 'box'

• Hat/cap and sunblock when weather is sunny

• Bat

If a player wishes to keep wicket on a regular basis, the player should also have:

• Wicket keeping pads

• Wicket keeping gloves

• Wicket keeping inner gloves (if desired)

Optional items:

• Spiked cricket shoes are not mandatory and most of the juniors are fine wearing trainers, however it’s fine to wear spikes if your child has them. They cannot be worn indoors and must not be worn on on artificial 'astro' wickets.

• Sunglasses are fine if desired to protect the eyes but

  • Should be plastic lens sports sunglasses that will not shatter dangerously upon impact

  • Should block UV light to protect the eyes

  • Should be well fitting

  • Should not be dark (not skiing sunglasses) as this will make it hard to see the ball. A pale pink or amber tint is ideal for visibility in cricket.

Balls

Please ensure your child has one or more balls of the right type and size (weight) for their squad. See Teams, match times and formats for details. In the summer term, these can also be purchased from the clubhouse bar at similar prices to shops. Please do not take the club balls from training sessions.

Does the club provide kit?

We provide plastic Kwik cricket bats for training of the youngest players, and during summer we have a limited amount of kit which can be borrowed by new players coming for a trial session. During winter and spring training, coaches will be happy to facilitate the sharing of kit and normally our current players are very happy to lend kit to new players. We cannot, however, guarantee the efficacy of used helmets, though we think except in the oldest age-groups there is unlikely to be much risk.

We are looking to provide a wider selection of batting kit, and sometimes need to replace older items as they get worn out, so that we can better cater for players attending trial sessions. If you have any pads, gloves, helmets or bats (not boxes) that your kids have outgrown and which are in good condition (helmets should not have sustained any significant impacts) then please let us know at smcccolts@gmail.com.