Why Inner Gloves are Necessary for Serious Wicketkeeping

Wicket-keepers have a harder job than other players on a cricket team. They have to crouch low and high for the entire innings as most teams only have one wicket keeper. Wicket-keepers are specialists, who have to jump, dive, catch and throw balls travelling at high speeds. All these only moments after the ball comes into their visibility.

It is no wonder, then, why wicket keepers are so few compared to batsmen or bowlers. They need to always play top-notch to keep up with the intense physical demands of their role. An injured wicket-keeper makes for a game lost. Hence, keepers are allowed to wear inner gloves under their wicketkeeping gloves. 

Why Inner Gloves are Preferred

Wicketkeeping is an extreme sport. There is no other way around it. The reason most keepers choose to wear padded wicket inner gloves is because it adds another layer of protection. The high-speed balls often bruise and break the fingers of keepers, even with wicket keeping gloves on.

Professional keepers are advised to wrap Elastoplast around their finger joints, on top of wearing inner and outer gloves. Some players used to slip strips of beef between their fingers and wicket keeping gloves in the olden days. Padded wicket inner gloves serve the same purpose as those. They prevent bruising while increasing comfort and absorbing sweat. 

Construction of Inner Wicket Gloves

Inner wicket keeping gloves are usually made of cotton, with extra padding. This helps absorb sweat from the player's hands while offering some degree of protection. Wicket keeping gloves are usually larger too, to allow them to be worn over padded wicket inner gloves. This increases the density of protection from zipping balls to the hands by increasing the space between them.

Use in Run-Out Scenarios

Often in run-out scenarios, wicket keepers are seen removing their gloves before throwing the ball to the other end. Outer wicket keeping gloves are more designed for protection and grip, not for the control which is required for accurate throwing. Padded wicket inner gloves fill in that gap, offering a little protection while allowing enough control to throw the ball accurately.

Maintenance

Padded wicket inner gloves need a little maintenance too, just like every other serious sports gear. Regular wicket keepers need not worry, as the sweat keeps the gloves supple. However, others, who do not wicket keep on a regular basis, need to wet their gloves. This has to be done to keep the inners from becoming completely rigid.

Since keepers get bruised joints often, they are advised to wrap electrician's tape when Elastoplast is not enough. A piece of Plasticine is recommended for bruised palms. So many injuries only happen to keepers too, as balls sometimes reach over 100mph. Inner gloves make the impact of the ball more bearable and go a long way in preventing such injuries.

Wicket keeping is a tedious task. Hence keepers are best kept as safe as possible, as there are not many around either. While we cannot just remove keepers from the game to keep them safer, we can take steps to that effect. A good pair of padded inner gloves offer superior protection and sweat absorption without compromising much on the grip.