Cricket gear guides, organised by what the rules ask for.

How we recommend

Our picks are categories of gear, such as cricket helmets, batting pads or wicket-keeping gloves, never particular models or brands. Each pick says who it may suit and which Law, standard or board rule applies to it. We do not publish hands-on reviews, we do not rank individual products, and we do not quote or compare prices. The buttons take you to current listings so you can compare for yourself. Product links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no cost to you; that never decides which categories we include.

Nothing in these guides says that a product is certified, safe or legal. A helmet is acceptable, or not, under the standard on its label and the rule of the body running the cricket; a bat is legal, or not, under Law 5 and the type the competition allows. Sizing and fitting, and bat preparation such as knocking-in and oiling, are named in these guides but never described; we suggest having them done or shown in person.

Coaching comes before gear

We suggest starting cricket through a board's entry programme or a club with a qualified coach. The ECB describes All Stars Cricket for ages 5 to 8 and Dynamos Cricket for ages 8 to 11; Cricket Australia's Woolworths Cricket Blast provides equipment to registered children; and NZC's Smash Play Junior-Tamariki needs no team at all. The how people learn page describes each. This site does not recommend any club, coach, shop or maker.

Six things these guides keep repeating

• The Laws have an edition. The Laws in force are the MCC's 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), from 1 October 2026. Where the 3rd Edition (2022) said something different, as for ball sizes and laminated Type D bats, the guides say so.
• A standard is not a rule. BS 7928 says how a cricket helmet is tested; the ICC and each board say who must wear one, and where. The ICC made helmets mandatory in international cricket in three positions from 1 June 2023.
• The ICC's documents disagree on the edition. Its Clothing and Equipment Regulations (effective January 2024) name BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 for the mandatory positions and BS 7928:2013 for helmets worn at other times, while its Men's Test Playing Conditions (June 2025) and Men's ODI Playing Conditions (October 2026) name BS 7928:2013 for all helmets, as does its helmets web page (current 2026). We give both.
• Helmets are not concussion prevention. The ECB says head protectors mainly reduce the risk of skull and face fracture rather than concussion, and the NSW State Coroner, Magistrate Michael Barnes, found on 4 November 2016 that the ball that killed Phillip Hughes struck an area of the left side of his neck that his helmet did not protect.
• Junior rules belong to each board. The ECB, Cricket Ireland, NZC and Cricket Australia publish different junior rules, directives, recommendations and guidelines on helmets, guards and bowling; some are mandatory and some are not, and no national Cricket Australia junior helmet rule was found. The guides give each with its date.
• Makers' claims are labelled. What a maker says about willow, grain or protection is marked as the maker's claim. Shops and makers are not recommended.

Where to start

• New to cricket? The beginner cricket kit guide sets out what the Laws and the boards say about a new player's helmet, pads, gloves, guards and bat.
• Head protection? The cricket helmet guide explains BS 7928, its editions, the rules by body, neck protectors and women's and junior balls.
• Choosing a bat? The cricket bat guide covers Law 5, the four bat types, the 2026 laminated-bat change and willow claims.
• Protecting the body and hands? The pads and gloves guide covers how the Laws define protective kit, the ICC's colour rules and junior guard rules.
• Behind the stumps? The wicketkeeping kit guide gives Law 27's glove rules and each body's helmet rule for keepers standing up.
• Buying for a child? The junior cricket kit guide puts each board's junior rules side by side with dates and status.
• Dressing for a match? The shoes and whites guide sets out the ICC's colour rules and what was not researched.
• Buying for a cricketer? The gift guide sticks mostly to items that do not have to fit the player.

How we handle sources

The MCC, the ICC, national boards, BSI, coroners and medical researchers are our primary sources. Where sources disagree, we give each version and who says it. A few governing-body documents found during research carry confidentiality labels; these guides do not cite them or use facts that rest only on them, and say where that leaves a gap. Where our research found nothing we could confirm, as for cricket shoe soles, bat sizes and willow grades, we say so rather than fill the gap. Everything here is summarised as of October 2026; the current text of the Law, standard or board rule takes precedence over this summary.