Comfort is crucial when batting!
Adjusting technique when necessary or making sure you’re hitting the ball well takes enough effort. Your equipment needs to be so comfortable that you don’t notice you’re wearing them. Just like choosing the perfect choosing the perfect cricket bat or cricket shoes is important, taking care of your cricket gloves well can enable optimal performance.
Batting Golves are usually the first piece of equipment that gets wear and tear. As cricket is often played in hot temperatures, perspiration on the hands can affect the gloves, as well as friction from strokeplay. Buying cricket equipment is always exciting, but it’s always a good idea to ensure you get your money’s worth by maintaining your gear as best as possible.
Below are four easy ways to ensure greater longevity for your batting gloves:
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- Wear Inner Gloves
When you hear the word “maintaining”, we often think it means taking care of something after play. However, gloves can be maintained really well during play. As mentioned, perspiration and sweat is part and parcel of playing cricket. Inner gloves or ‘inners’ are a great piece of equipment that ensures your gloves don’t get too wet as they act as insulation between your hands and gloves, ensuring comfort and optimal performance. Sweat will absorb into your gloves a lot less, which will help them last longer.
- Don’t place them in your kit straight after play
This is an important tip.
The inside of your gloves can get very wet during play. Be mindful that even with inners, moisture can still seep through into your gloves (not as much as without them), so it’s important you leave them out to dry in a warm, dry environment before placing them in your kit. If gloves are placed straight in the kit after play, they don’t dry out properly, which results in the leather becoming damaged or affected by mold. You don’t want your gloves becoming hard and uncomfortable to wear!
- Clean your batting gloves
The grip on the gloves themselves is essential.
Dirt and friction against the batting grip can impact the gloves, so cleaning them regularly (every week or two) is a great way to maintain them. Avoid using any liquid, as this can have an adverse impact on the leather. The same applies to any oil-based cleansers.
The best and most effective way of removing any dirt or remains from your batting grip is by simply brushing the surface with a soft brush.
- Have a spare pair of gloves
We often see international batsmen ask for a change of gloves. Of course, aspiring cricketers wouldn’t have as many pairs as international players, but it might be a good idea to have another pair handy!
Continuously swapping your gloves, whilst keeping the non-used one out to dry as per point one, can help you enjoy long-lasting pairs of gloves.
Batting takes a lot of focus and concentration, and if your equipment is in good shape, it will enable you to focus on the ball and enjoyment rather than any discomfort.
