BAT | There are many types of bats, but you need to have one that is the right size and weight for you.
They come in different sizes and handle lengths.
A good guide is standing a bat upright next to you.
The top of the handle should reach the top of your thigh.
Weights of bats also vary and are measured in pounds and ounces.
Sachin Tendulkar is famous for using heavy bats, but it's a lot easier to develop the basics of batting with a much lighter bat.
A good test to see whether the weight of the bat is right for you is to swing the bat with only the top hand (left hand for a right handed batter).
If you can to make good straight and cross-batted strokes and a controlled backswing, then that's the weight for you.
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BALL | A cricket ball can be made up of two or four pieces.
The inside is made of cork, with two halves of leather then wrapped around the outside as a casing.
The leather is then stitched together to form the "seam".
This is slightly raised, which is why seam bowlers try to get this part of the ball to hit the pitch when it bounces and make the ball move in a different direction.
The leather of the ball is polished, but the fielding side will try to keep the shine on one side and hope that the other half is roughed up.
It's the shine on one side of the ball that can make a ball swing through the air.
A white ball is used in one-day cricket as it is easier to see under floodlights and against coloured clothing.
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STUMPS | The stumps and bails are made out of ash and they form the wickets at each end of the pitch.
There are three stumps at each end, with two bails sitting across the top of them.
The stumps are 28 inches high above the ground and are equally spaced to cover a width of nine inches.
A batsman is only run out, stumped, bowled or given out hit wicket when one of the bails is knocked off the top of the stumps.
On a windy day the umpires may use heavier bails. |
PADS | If the ball has ever hit you on the legs when fielding you'll know exactly why you wear pads when batting.
Their job is protection. Make sure they fit comfortably and properly as you need to move quickly when nabbing those quick singles.
The horizontal panels on the front of the pad should be at knee height, with the top of the pad covering up the lower thigh.
Most pads have three velcro straps to fasten them to your leg, making them easy to adjust.
Modern pads are incredibly light - but are still able to provide plenty of protection.
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BATTING GLOVES | Broken fingers are one of the most common injuries cricketers pick up.
So it's extra important the hands are well protected when you're batting.
Modern gloves are very lightweight and provide lots of protection, especially to the bottom hand.
It is usually the bottom hand that gets struck when a ball bounces sharply off the pitch.
Each finger of both gloves has flexible padded areas, making it easy to get the glove around the bat.
All gloves also have extra protection on the thumb of the bottom hand - that's the right hand for a right-handed batter, left hand for a left-hander.
Some gloves have extra protection over the first and second fingers of the bottom hand.
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BOX | You won't need to guess where the most painful place to be hit by a cricket ball is - particularly for males.
A box should always be worn to protect the "privates" when batting against a cricket ball or other hard ball.
Wicketkeepers and fielders close to the wicket should also wear a box at all times.
You won't regret it.
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THIGH PAD | It is entirely up to you whether you wear a thigh pad.
But if you've ever been hit in the thigh by a quick delivery, you'll know it's not the greatest feeling in the world.
The thigh pad is a lightweight piece of protection which is worn on the outside of the thigh closest to the bowler.
Two straps, one around the waist, and one around the inner thigh, hold the guard in place.
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HELMET | Protecting your head is something that should be taken very seriously.
The England and Wales Cricket Board actually recommends a helmet with a faceguard is worn by anybody up to the age of 18 batting against a cricket ball.
Even if you're not batting against fast bowlers, a helmet will protect you against an accidental full toss or a top-edged sweep or pull shot.
Make sure the faceguard is properly adjusted so the ball can't pass beyond the space between the grill and the peak of the helmet.
Make sure the helmet is securely held in place by the chin strap as you'll be given out if your helmet comes off and hits the stumps.
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WICKETKEEPER PADS | A wicketkeeper also needs the extra protection of wearing a box, gloves and pads.
If you're new to wicketkeeping then an ordinary pair of batting pads will do.
If you're regularly standing behind the stumps then you'll probably find it easier to get hold of a pair of wicketkeeping pads.
They're similar to batting pads, but they are shorter and lighter in weight, making them easier to move and dive around in.
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WICKETKEEPER GLOVES | The wicketkeeper has the advantage of wearing gloves, but because of all the catching they do they most definitely need them.
You hardly see a delivery when the wicketkeeper isn't taking the ball directly from the bowler or receiving a throw from a fielder.
Most keepers like to wear a pair of cotton inners underneath the main gloves.
The main gloves should fit snugly but still move freely when a keeper may need to throw the ball themselves.
Gloves will have extra protection around the ends of each finger and the web between thumb and forefinger will be a major help in catching the ball.
However, the cricket's authorities have been cracking down on the size of these webs as some have become like baseball gloves.
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CLOTHES | The traditions of cricket says the game must be played in 'whites'.
This won't seem very practical when you're diving over the boundary, but you'll just to have to put up with those grass stains.
Despite the coloured clothing worn in the one-day game, most schools, club, county and Test cricket is still played in all white.
Short and long sleeve jumpers are commonplace on the field with bowlers usually getting the umpires to double up as a coat stand!
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SHOES | The cricket shoe has evolved into something resembling a trainer more and more.
The most important things to look for in a cricket boot are comfort and grip, not what it looks like.
You can choose your shoe depending on the type of surface you play on.
Glenn McGrath shows off his shoes
Spiked shoes are good for playing on soft ground, while pimpled rubber soles are better for hard ground.
You can also get a combination of both spikes and pimples.
Batters usually prefer shoes with spikes at the front for grip and rubber-treaded heels.
Fast bowlers usually have shoes with spikes at the front and back with extra support around the ankle.
But don't worry if you think you need two pairs of shoes if you are an all-rounder - one set of cricket shoes is more than enough.
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CARING FOR YOU BAT | After getting your hands on a new bat there is a huge temptation to put it straight into action.
Patience is required. To make sure your bat has a long life, you shouldn't use it competitively for at least two weeks after buying it.
In that time you need to oil it and 'knock it in'.
But don't just grab any old can out of the garage - raw linseed oil is what you need.
Only about a teaspoonful is needed to give the face of the bat a coating. Be careful, as it can be more harmful to over-oil than not to bother.
Allow the oil plenty of time to soak in and leave the bat in a horizontal position.
'Knocking in' helps the fibres of the wood to compress and produce a stronger barrier.
This is done using either a special bat mallet or using an old cricket ball, knocking against the bat face and rounding off the edges.
After this you can start to hit a few short catches with an old ball and after about an hour of this the bat should be ready to use.
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