This section of our guide will focus on the equipment, accessories, and supplies used in the game of cricket, a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field.
There are variations of the game. Test Cricket is the longest format, played over five days with each team, having two innings. It emphasizes endurance, strategy, and skill. One Day Internationals are limited to 50 overs per side, played over a single day. This format demands a balance between aggression and strategy. Twenty20 (T20) Cricket is the shortest format, with each team playing a maximum of 20 overs. T20 is known for its fast-paced, entertaining style.
The various forms of cricket generally use the same equipment and accessories, with only slight differences. The core equipment (bats, balls, protective gear, and wickets) remains the same, although some variations in ball color and apparel reflect the distinct needs of each format.
As a bat-and-ball game, we might expect that a bat and a ball are essential aspects of the game, and we wouldn't be wrong.
A cricket bat is a flat-bladed tool, traditionally made from willow wood, which players use to hit the ball. The bats are usually wrapped with a rubber grip for comfort and control. There are different types of bats, varying in size and weight to accommodate the preferences and styles of the player.
Cricket balls are hard, spherical objects made of cork and covered with leather. The weight and circumference of balls used in competitive play are strictly regulated and designed to achieve bounce and swing in the air. Red balls are used in Test matches, while white balls are used in limited-overs formats like One Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches.
Players wear protective gear, including helmets and cushioned pads to protect the shins, knees, and thighs. Padded gloves can protect the hands and improve grip, while a box (abdominal guard) protects the groin area, and arm guards and chest guards provide extra protection.
Traditional cricket whites include collared shirts, trousers, and jumpers. In limited-overs formats, teams wear colored kits. Special cricket shoes with spikes enhance grips on the field.
Wickets are a set of three vertical stumps topped by two horizontal balls. Wickets are a crucial part of the game's structure, and their dimensions are standardized.
Fielding equipment includes specialized gloves for the wicketkeepers and other protective gear like inner gloves, throat guards, and shin pads.
Several companies specialize in manufacturing and distributing cricket equipment and accessories. Gray-Nicolls is known for its high-quality bats and protective gear. Kookaburra is renowned for its cricket balls and a wide range of cricketing equipment. Gunn & Moore produces cricket bats and protective gear, and Slazenger offers a variety of cricketing equipment, especially bats and balls. Adidas has expanded its sporting goods line to include cricket clothing and shoes. Puma provides cricket bats, shoes, and protective gear.
These companies distribute their products globally, with a strong presence in nations where the game is most popular, which includes countries that were part of the British Empire, such as India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.
Products used in cricket, including manufacturers and retailers that have a significant focus on producing or distributing cricket equipment and supplies, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
3D Sports is a well-known online cricket store based in the United Kingdom. Offering a wide range of products, including cricket bats, balls, clothing, protective equipment, and accessories, they stock brands like Kookaburra, Gray Nicolls, and Puma. Other products include sight screens, cricket covers, cricket bags, mobile cricket batting cages, bowling machines, scoreboards, and matting. Information on caring for bats, a bat guide, and size guides are included.
https://www.3dsports.co.uk/
Based in India, Anglar Sports specializes in premium cricket equipment. It offers a wide range of products, including custom cricket bats, batting pads, gloves, kit bags, cricket whites, and leg guards. The company's cricket bats are handcrafted using high-quality English willow, ensuring excellent comfort and performance for players. The company also offers customization options for its products, allowing players to tailor their equipment to their specific needs.
https://www.anglarsports.com
B.D. Mahajan & Sons Private Limited
Established in 1986, B.D. Mahajan & Sons is a well-known Indian manufacturer of cricket equipment. They produce a wide range of cricket gear, including BDM English willow cricket bats, cricket balls, batting pads, batting gloves, and other protective equipment. These products are designed for players of all age groups, skill levels, and budgets. The company's products can be viewed online, and quotes can be requested through the website. Product videos, ratings, and reviews are included.
https://www.bdmcricket.net/
Representing Leading Edge Cricket Limited, an online cricket equipment store based in England, the website carries a full line of cricket supplies, including balls, bats, batting gloves, footwear, and apparel, as well as coaching and practicing equipment, categorized by manufacturer or product. In business since the 1990s, the store has also included a product catalogue, a size guide, delivery information, an introduction to cricket bats, price promises, and contacts.
https://www.cricketsupplies.com/
DesiSport One Stop Cricket Shop
DesiSport is located in Missouri City, Texas, where they have a physical storefront where customers can visit and purchase cricket equipment in person. Its products are also available through its online store, which offers a wide range of cricket equipment and accessories from world-renowned brands, including cricket bats, balls, batting pads, gloves, equipment bags, stump sets, shoes, and other products. They also provide custom clothing and ball orders for teams and leagues.
http://www.desisport.com/
A subsidiary of Grays International, Gray-Nicolls is an English cricket equipment and clothing brand that was formed in 1855 as a result of a merger between two companies, Grays and Nicolls. Gray-Nicolls manufactures and commercializes a wide range of products for cricket, including bats, batting gloves, balls, pads, athletic shoes, team uniforms, and bags. Gray-Nicolls has sponsorship deals with several leading international cricketers. Included is a product catalog and a blog.
https://www.gray-nicolls.co.uk/
Gunn & Moore (GM) is a British sports equipment and clothing company. Founded in 1885, the company specializes in cricket and is based in Colwick, Nottinghamshire, England. The company produces cricket clothing and equipment, such as bats, balls, helmets, batting gloves, protective gear, athletic shoes, and bags. Its online catalog includes cricket bats, kit bags, protective gear, footwear, cricket balls, clothing, rubber grips, accessories, and cricket kits. Size guides and a blog are included.
https://gmcricket.in/
