Helmet or no helmet

[The Baconator]

Have to wear one at my age level ATM. I've been hit once , when I top edged a sweep off it, and subsequently got out handled the ball biffing the ball away from the keeper.

 

[adharcric]

Anyone who doesn't wear one is just stupid, IMO. It's not about having good reflexes. The ball can top-edge off a cross-batted shot and smack you straight in the face. Things like this actually happen. If you care about your well-being at all, you should be wearing one.
If it isn't comfortable, go look for a different helmet, deal with it or be prepared to get owned.

 

[albo97056]

Anyone who doesn't wear one is just stupid, IMO. It's not about having good reflexes. The ball can top-edge off a cross-batted shot and smack you straight in the face. Things like this actually happen. If you care about your well-being at all, you should be wearing one.
If it isn't comfortable, go look for a different helmet, deal with it or be prepared to get owned.

dont cross bat then! u can score runs without, iv found after cutting out the cut and pull that my average has gone up 3 fold, to the point where ive gone from handy no 9/10 to no3 and mainstay of our batting line up, you dont need every shot in the book to be sucessful, eg, that richardson guy for nz, he started off as a bowler didnt he?

 

[adharcric]

dont cross bat then! u can score runs without, iv found after cutting out the cut and pull that my average has gone up 3 fold, to the point where ive gone from handy no 9/10 to no3 and mainstay of our batting line up, you dont need every shot in the book to be sucessful, eg, that richardson guy for nz, he started off as a bowler didnt he?

That's irrelevant. The cross-batted stroke is just one way to accidentally hurt yourself. It's also unlikely that you'd play a ball coming at your face with a straight bat. You'd duck or pull and who knows if it takes a sharp bounce and hits you flush in the face ... people can do what they want, but I just think it's stupid to take a risk like that. Same goes for the box.

 

[Langeveldt]

Helmets give me more confidance to get inside the line and hook and pull.. Would never wear one against the spinners though, not worth it

 

[_TiGeR-ToWn_]

Depending on the speed of the bowlers and the state of the pitch, but usually i would wear one.

My old man played in the days where helmets weren't about. IIRC he had 3 broken noses, a depressed cheekbone and a broken jaw over his time. It was suicide, playing on uncovered pitches against ex-test players on the local scene.

 

[Perm]

I don't wear a helmet but the general rule in the competition I play in (social senior) that you can't bowl bouncers. If we were allowed to bowl bouncers then I would most certainly wear a helmet, I know I'm not as imposing as Viv Richards or Richie Richardson.

 

[Burpey]

I've never worn a helmet, mainly because the lack of pace of the bowlers I've faced and the low pitches I've played on have meant that I've never really been faced with too many bouncers. When I do get them, I have ample time to get out of the road or even hook safely.

 

[Slow Love™]

Anyone who doesn't wear one is just stupid, IMO. It's not about having good reflexes. The ball can top-edge off a cross-batted shot and smack you straight in the face. Things like this actually happen. If you care about your well-being at all, you should be wearing one.
If it isn't comfortable, go look for a different helmet, deal with it or be prepared to get owned.

Yeah, pretty much. Certainly at professional level (as the original poster asks), I wouldn't contemplate going out there without one. Back when I played I often wore one without a grille/visor, but that was more due to laxness of team resources than anything else.

Never wearing a box is complete madness.

 

[Turbinator]

I completely hate wearing one, it is the most annoying thing, without one, chances of you getting out are less. Without one you see the ball much clearly and the fielders around you. You also run better between the wickets without one. Yet I would never go into bat without one. Your head is a very important part of your body and is prone to injuries, that's why always wear a helmet. Maybe not when a spinner is on.

 

[adharcric]

I completely hate wearing one, it is the most annoying thing, without one, chances of you getting out are less. Without one you see the ball much clearly and the fielders around you. You also run better between the wickets without one. Yet I would never go into bat without one. Your head is a very important part of your body and is prone to injuries, that's why always wear a helmet. Maybe not when a spinner is on.

IMO it's only annoying if you're not used to it. Just like running with pads can be annoying for guys who are used to tennis-ball cricket, batting with a helmet on can be annoying and uncomfortable for those unused to it. It also may mean that you have a poor-quality helmet. Personally, I would say wearing a helmet and a cup helps my game because it gives me more freedom to play strokes to balls directed towards my body.

 

[Dasa]

I find wearing a helmet uncomfortable but I still wear one when facing pace bowling - it'd be a stupid risk not to wear it. Against spin bowling I don't bother with a helmet - the only real danger from spin bowling comes from top-edged sweep shots and I rarely play the sweep.

 

[andmark]

I play for a team and I have batted against some preety fast bowlers and they aim for my head and I cant work out why they do it?

 

[Neil Pickup]

I completely hate wearing one, it is the most annoying thing, without one, chances of you getting out are less. Without one you see the ball much clearly and the fielders around you. You also run better between the wickets without one. Yet I would never go into bat without one. Your head is a very important part of your body and is prone to injuries, that's why always wear a helmet. Maybe not when a spinner is on.

If you get a helmet that fits you properly you can't even notice it.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I play for a team and I have batted against some preety fast bowlers and they aim for my head and I cant work out why they do it?

If they're anything like most Under 10s, they're not aiming at your head. They just have no control over where the ball ends up.

If you're talking about playing adult cricket and getting bouncers, then it's because either a) you're so small that anything short of half volley length comes up to your ribcage, or b) they're trying to scare you. Not sure why, best way of getting little kids out is sledging...

 

[Matteh]

I always wear one. The standard of my batting means i could very easily take one in the face or top edge it etc.
Someone borrowed my helmet in the nets earlier this season and the ball managed to get up under the grill and gave him a pretty fat lip. Personally i've never come anywhere near to getting hit in the head.

 

[Dydl]

I always wear one, mainly because at the position I bat, they always put their good bowlers on again after their bad bowlers... But that's the irony of life. I wear a helmet all the time anyway.

 

[Chubb]

I never wear a helmet. I got hit by one of the fastest bowlers in our league this year, Ollie Acheson, the ball glancing off the shoulder of the bat and into my face, but I just told them to get on with it, and when they asked if I wanted a helmet I said no. It was only a glancing blow but still, stupid rather than brave probably. Really the level I play there are very few bowlers who will bang in it short, this guy only had one over left as well, and I knew the other bowlers weren't as fast. I suspect if the standard was higher I would feel compelled to wear one. Most players in our league don't wear helmets.

 

[Matt79]

Viv Richards never wore a helmet and was never hit. I don't wear one either because it's not necessary at lower levels. I never wear a box either, I've only been hit once. It was quite painful and I ended up being put in charge of the Christmas Rotary Club Funds for that year.

S'pose you have to ask yourself - "Am I as good as Viv was?"

 

[Josh]

Would depend on the pitch, the severity of the bowler, etc.

Obviously an educated decision would prevail. I tend not to wear helmets on the fake green stuff, but if I were to play on turf, as I said, it would take perhaps a deep-seeded analysis on whether or not I would. To spinners; definitely not.