Batting Bareheaded in Cricket

[XFactor1979]

Playing lower grade cricket, I always wear a helmet regardless of what type of bowling I'm facing. I do it for the one time i may get hit (haven't so far) and it's just something I don't want to be conscious of while playing (because i would be).

But, For the love of god!

Dont forget the/ your box/ cup!

 

[imadodgyumpire]

That's happened once, didn't last long though, not even the six overs left to bat the day out.

 

[XFactor1979]

I cant help but recall those retro test matches (around the time when Mark Taylor was playing) whereby a batsman is at the non strikers end, decides to take his helmet off, hang it around his bat handle or lean it up against the stumps at the bowler's end, with 4 or 5 balls left in the over with no intention of taking strike again for the rest of the day's play.

^ It was a common practice associated with one of those arrogant subcontinental teams, Pakistan or India whatever

In cricket these days youre expected to be in mind for a quick single should the opportunity arise.

 

[XFactor1979]

That's happened once, didn't last long though, not even the six overs left to bat the day out.

You batted without a box?

WTF?!?!?!

I feel like cactus when Im batting with a box

Doesnt enhance my batting ability though

 

[imadodgyumpire]

You batted without a box?

WTF?!?!?!

I feel like cactus when Im batting with a box

Doesnt enhance my batting ability though

It wasn't deliberate! Just in a rush with those annoying overs close to the end of the day's play in the change of innings.

 

[whats_at_stake]

Came across this: Tendulkar's first ODI runs. Apart from how young he looks there are no helmets.

[YOUTUBE]r-dF0aThcMU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Donnie Darko]

[youtube]gNggUD_MrNY[/youtube]

Botham batting without a helmet and hooking merv hughes.
Classic footage of batting with no helmet.

I remember in the 96 world cup ,a United arab emirates batsmen batted without a helmet v South Africa. It didnt last for long when Allan Donald took offence and started firing in bouncers .haha

 

[XFactor1979]

[youtube]gNggUD_MrNY[/youtube]

Botham batting without a helmet and hooking merv hughes.
Classic footage of batting with no helmet.

looks absolutely formidable batting without a helmet there

Almost daring merv hughes to pitch it short

 

[XFactor1979]

I can hardly think of any modern day player who does not wear a helmet. Richie Richardson was the last one that I remember and he eventually succumbed.

its almost like they feel like theyre all of the sudden f1 racing drivers and they feel the bowlers are now bowling it at 300kph!

oop.. sorry been watching that movie "Senna"

 

[Big_D231]

I dont think you will see it happening again any time soon. Helmets are compulsary in junior cricket these days, so kids that start in u11s learn to bat with one on and become used to it from a young age

 

[Donnie Darko]

looks absolutely formidable batting without a helmet there

Almost daring merv hughes to pitch it short

Im not sure if Beefy ever used a helmet in his career .
Hooking 90 mph bouncers with no helmet has got to take some balls .

 

[XFactor1979]

I dont think you will see it happening again any time soon. Helmets are compulsary in junior cricket these days, so kids that start in u11s learn to bat with one on and become used to it from a young age

I hate wearing a helmet, its so heavy and awkward on your head!

So basically everyone in the future will be pretty much 'baseballers' and f1 drivers in this country?

Baseballers all wear helmets, granted the ball comes at you a whole lot faster in that sport

Also its been discussed before, a helmet doesnt necessarily mean mandatory protection in cricket, a batsman would play a short ball differently without a helmet. Sometimes a tailender plays the short ball all wrong as a result of believing/ misbelieving that the helmet will protect them

 

[Teffy]

I always said I wouldn't wear a helmet until I got crowned.

I got away with it until my late 20's, I got crowned, then bought a helmet.

 

[Dipper]

Im not sure if Beefy ever used a helmet in his career .
Hooking 90 mph bouncers with no helmet has got to take some balls .

He wore one quite regularly, especially later on, it was white.


A lof them in those days had helmes without any visor, I've always felt that the visor should be banned, then batsmen are unlikely to get killed but if they can't deal with the bouncer then they'll get found out.

Justin Langer should never have had a Test career, without helmets he wouldn't have lasted more than a handful of Tests, he'd have died if he'd played 50 odd tests without a helmet.It's wrong that a bloke can have a reasonably long and succesful test career whilst lacking the requirements to deal with the short ball.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Justin Langer should never have had a Test career, without helmets he wouldn't have lasted more than a handful of Tests, he'd have died if he'd played 50 odd tests without a helmet.It's wrong that a bloke can have a reasonably long and succesful test career whilst lacking the requirements to deal with the short ball.

Yet, JL is the batting coach?

 

[JimDocker]

[YOUTUBE]KXsfEdJ_G5w[/YOUTUBE]

Try facing this bowling without a helmet.....or rib cage !!!! Vicious vicious stuff and it backs up my long held theory that Close is the toughest man ever to play cricket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXsfEdJ_G5w

Edit - it seems my attempt at embedding a youtube clip may have failed so here is the link.

 

[Teffy]

That second delivery from Holding is as close to a perfect bouncer to a left hand batsman as you will ever see.

Close is just lucky he didn't try to pull that delivery or he would be dead.

One tough bastard.

 

[XFactor1979]

He wore one quite regularly, especially later on, it was white.


A lof them in those days had helmes without any visor, I've always felt that the visor should be banned, then batsmen are unlikely to get killed but if they can't deal with the bouncer then they'll get found out.

Justin Langer should never have had a Test career, without helmets he wouldn't have lasted more than a handful of Tests, he'd have died if he'd played 50 odd tests without a helmet.It's wrong that a bloke can have a reasonably long and succesful test career whilst lacking the requirements to deal with the short ball.

Makhaya Ntini certainly shoved it up to him, Langer was talking trash to Ntini saying he wasnt all that fast as a bowler

Ntini Almost killed him with the "perfect ball"

What do you think of him now JL?

 

[fairdinkum]

Have always batted with a helmet and probably wouldn't bother walking out to bat without one. I generally open the batting and depend on my pull/hook for most of my runs - instinctively line up the shot as soon as I see the ball is short. Got hit once by a ball from a much better bowler bowling down a grade and it would have messed me up if I hadn't been wearing the helmet.

The clips of blokes batting without helmets like the one of Close above are fantastic. Serious courage.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

I hate wearing a helmet, its so heavy and awkward on your head!

So basically everyone in the future will be pretty much 'baseballers' and f1 drivers in this country?

Huh...are you saying F1 drivers shouldn't be wearing helmets? Or they're soft for wearing one?

 

[XFactor1979]

Huh...are you saying F1 drivers shouldn't be wearing helmets? Or they're soft for wearing one?

No im saying cricketers have mistaken themselves into thinking cricket is f1 racing driving whereas its just merely ... cricket

 

[imadodgyumpire]

No im saying cricketers have mistaken themselves into thinking cricket is f1 racing driving whereas its just merely ... cricket

Oh, now I get it...sorry.

 

[Glenno23]

Never wore one in juniors

Tried one when i played B gradein seniors, but couldn't get it to fit properly, as my melon is massive. Got bowled for 5

Never worn one since

 

[estibador]

I've never gone out to the middle without a helmet and never will, even though I can only remember being genuinely hit by a bowler once - and even that was only a glancing blow above the ear.

I'm a seriously compulsive puller and hooker though and I've caught myself some beauties into the face grill off the top edge.

Last year I smacked myself in the grill so hard it ripped one of the screw nuts off the side of the helmet and warped the grill at a weird angle. I shudder to think what would be left of my front teeth if I wasn't wearing a helmet that day.

 

[estibador]

What sh*ts me is the number of keepers in helmets these days.

Makes a lot of sense when you think about it though.

When you're batting it's just you vs the bowler. You've got the option to duck out of the way if necessary and to a large degree it's you're own fault if you get hit.

But when you're keeping it's you vs the bowler vs the batsman's edge vs the top of the stumps - there's so much more shit out of your control. And it's not like any self respecting keeper has the option to duck out of the way and let the ball fly past him either.