Looking to freshen up the batting gloves but don’t know where to start? Here is our breakdown of the key factors to help you make the right choice:

THE FINGERS

A critical factor in glove selection lies in the choice of finger styles: BLOCK FINGERS or SAUSAGE FINGERS.

Block Fingers provide heightened flexibility, enabling a firmer grip on the bat, particularly beneficial for square hits. However, they slightly compromise on protection. Block finger style gloves are most favoured in cricket-centric nations like Australia, where players emphasize cuts and pulls, necessitating a stronger grip with enhanced flexibility. A pair of gloves like the Gray Nicolls Legend and MRF The King are examples of some premium block-style gloves, with gloves like the SF Prolite and SG Litevate being budget-bangers. 

 In contrast, Sausage Batting Gloves offer unparalleled protection. A solitary block on each finger translates to more protective foam, often augmented by a TPU insert or an extra layer over the foam for added cushioning. These gloves offer elite-level protection while marginally reducing flexibility, ideal for cricketers favouring "in the V" plays, where a looser grip facilitates impactful drives and wrist usage. Some great examples are the SS Limited Edition and the Newbery Master 100.  

With these in mind, most professional cricketers like Virat Kohli, Nic Maddinson, Usman Khawaja and David Warner tend to go for a sausage style of gloves as they offer much better resistance against quicker balls. This doesn’t take away from the fact that block finger gloves are equally popular amongst professionals.

LEATHER AND PROTECTION 

Another vital aspect to consider when choosing batting gloves is the palm leather. Softer leather affords greater flexibility, enhancing grip and comfort. Typically, investing more in gloves yields softer and premium leather. The most sought-after leather variety is Pittard – specially treated, highly durable sheep leather that's incredibly supple and requires no break-in period. It also boasts exceptional sweat tolerance and ventilation for the palm. Gloves like the SS Super Select come with this premium leather in place. 

Other common leather types, ranked in descending order of quality (evaluated by softness and durability), encompass sheep leather, cougar leather, calf leather, and PU mock leather.

Many gloves tend to become stiff after half a season due to sweat salts forming a layer on the inner lining. Pittard leather prevents this occurrence owing to its treatment process. Pittard is like Dri-Fit material, but for palm leathers.

Often overlooked in glove selection is the protection along the sides and thumb. Incorporating high-density foam side protection on exposed areas enhances overall safety. This side foam shields against unexpected impacts on the palm. Ideally, opt for a 3-piece foam bar with slits for seamless palm flexing.

Moving onto the thumb area- opt for a glove with a thickly padded thumb on the inside (preferable once with a dense TPU shell). Since your thumb is at the base of the handle and closest to the splice, a considerable amount of shock affects that area. Additionally, the bottom hand thumb is the most vulnerable to breakage on the event of defending a short ball.

CARE

Once you have made the choice for a specific pair of gloves, the care is crucial for them to get them to last for a while. Ideally, you want 2 pairs of gloves- 1 for the nets and 1 for the game, so that you don’t burn through your gloves due to intensive use.

Additional care suggestions include wearing batting inners – thin cotton gloves beneath your main gloves – to absorb sweat and reduce contact with the leather. Reduced exposure of sweat to the leather prolongs its lifespan. If discomfort arises from inners, consider "fingerless" pairs that solely cover the palm for a less intrusive sensation.

A must-have habit after your session in the nets or your game is ensuring that you always dry out your gloves in the shade. Doing it for 10-15 minutes means that the sweat doesn’t sit on the leather for too long and dry out. Hence, the glove is withering away as less as possible because of not being in contact with excessive moisture.

Now that you know all that there is to know about batting gloves, it’s time to head out there and get the best gloves for your budget!

Looking to get your next pair? Click here to browse from the widest range down under!