Cricket is seen by many as quite a difficult game to get into. The rules are complex. The game is long. And you need a lot of kit to start. While there is some truth to that, the latter point isn’t necessarily accurate.
If your child is just starting out on their cricketing journey, the chances are they won’t need their own kit for a while. Most junior or infant sessions should be run with plastic cricket sets and soft balls, ensuring no protective equipment is needed. It won’t be until your junior moves into hardball until the requirement for kit grows.
The one piece of kit your child will probably want quite soon however is their first cricket bat.
Given they will likely be playing against softballs for the first couple of years, this bat doesn’t need to break the bank. In fact, a lot of “first time” bats are absolute bargains. The key for most youngsters is having a bat that looks like their heroes use, and we have plenty of those.
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If they’ve identified the bat they want, the most important thing to get right is size. A lot of first cricket bats are inherited so getting sizes right is tricky, but if you are buying from new it’s a great opportunity to get the correct one.
We recommend the following sizes based on age and height:
- Age 4-5 and under 4 foot tall we recommend size 0 cricket bat
- Age 6-7 and between 4-4’3 we recommend size 1 cricket bat
- Age 7-9 and between 4’3 – 4’6 we recommend size 2 cricket bat
- Age 9-11 and between 4’6 – 4’9 we recommend size 3 cricket bat
- Age 10-12 and between 4’9 – 5’ we recommend size 4 cricket bat
- Age 11-13 and between 5’ – 5’3 we recommend size 5 cricket bat
- Age 13-15 and between 5’3 – 5’5 we recommend size 6 cricket bat
First pads and gloves
Once your child graduates to hard ball cricket, it’s important they are perfectly protected. They’ll require some batting pads and batting gloves to avoid any nasty injuries.
All our junior soft gear is top class and will comfortably do a great job against appropriate bowling. Check out sizes for what to buy your youngster
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Helmet – Trusted By The Best, Chosen By Parents
While the bat is the bit of kit every junior wants, the one they truly must have once they begin hardball is a batting helmet. It’s now mandatory that juniors must wear a helmet, and in particular use a helmet with a neckguard. Our recommendation is our incredible 360 collection which homes the Atomic and Ultimate.
Both helmets feature an extended grille, which wraps around the head and neck 360 degrees. While not technically a neckguard, the 360 extended grille has been approved by ECB officials to be used without the requirement for a separate detachable neckguard.
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