How we recommend
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This page explains what the Laws of Cricket, governing bodies and standards bodies publish. It is not a substitute for coaching from a qualified coach, and it does not replace medical advice.
Before you buy: what is better left to the player
Four kinds of kit are hard to buy as a surprise, for reasons the rules themselves give:
- Helmets. Which helmet is acceptable depends on the standard on its label, the ball sizes it was tested against and the rule of the body running the player's cricket. The ICC's own documents name two editions of BS 7928, and the ICC recommends that women use helmets tested against both the men's and junior balls, or at least the junior ball. Fit matters too. The helmet guide explains each part.
- Bats. A bat must fit Law 5 of the 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), and which of the four types may be used depends on the level: only Type A in ODIs and Tests, laminated Type D only at levels a national governing body sets. Size and weight are personal and best chosen with a coach. See the bat guide.
- Pads, gloves and guards. No standard or size for them is set in the Laws, so fit is everything, and some boards require particular guards for young players.
- Shoes and clothing. Shoes have to fit the player's feet, and colour rules depend on the competition: the ICC requires white or cream in Tests and team colours in white-ball internationals.
Nothing on this page says a product is certified, safe or legal.
Our picks by category
Cricket books
Books need no fitting, and the game has a long written record. The MCC says it has been recognised as the sole authority for the Laws since its formation in 1787, and its list of significant dates puts the earliest known Code in 1744. The ICC says it was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, with England, Australia and South Africa as its first members. A printed copy of the Laws is a gift with a shelf life: the MCC says the full 2026 edition is free on its website, and that the website and its Laws of Cricket app carry a digital version updated with any minor changes. For any coaching title, no book replaces a qualified coach. See the MCC and the Laws.
Best for: Readers, fans and anyone interested in the history
Scorebooks
For anyone who keeps score. Under Law 3 of the 2026 edition, two scorers record runs, wickets and, where relevant, overs, and agree the totals with the umpires at least at every interval other than drinks and at the end of the match. Under Law 16.10, once umpires and scorers have agreed the scores at the end, the result cannot be changed.
Best for: Club scorers, parents at junior matches and keen followers
Stumps and bails
A set for practice. For senior cricket, Law 8 sets the wicket at 9 in (22.86 cm) wide, the stumps at 28 in (71.12 cm) above the ground, and each bail at 4.31 in (10.95 cm) long; for junior cricket, the national governing body sets the dimensions (Law 8.4). Health Canada published a recall on 14 August 2023 of junior cricket sets sold under the Garden Games and Big Game Hunters names, product code 530, over lead and phthalates. See stumps and bails.
Best for: Families, schools and garden or net practice
Training balls
Soft and practice balls for informal play. The ECB's 2025 recreational regulations treat softball and hardball cricket differently: its junior fast-bowling limits apply to hardball cricket only. BSI says its helmet standard does not consider kwik cricket, incrediball or street cricket.
Best for: Children, garden games and practice
Cricket balls
Leather balls for practice. In a match the umpires choose and control the balls (Law 4.2), and the governing body decides which of the three sizes is used (Law 4.6), so a gift ball is for practice: Size 1 weighs 156 to 163 g, Size 2 142 to 149 g and Size 3 133 to 140 g when new (Law 4.1). Colour is set by playing conditions, not the Laws; the ICC's ODI conditions (effective October 2026) require white balls. A hard ball calls for protective kit: NZC's 2024-25 helmet policy says helmets must be worn when batting in the nets, for the players it covers.
Best for: Players who practise in nets or with a coach
Cricket kit bags
A bag needs no fitting and suits any player who owns a bat, pads and a helmet. Our research recorded no rule on kit bags, so we make no claim about types or sizes.
Best for: Players carrying their own kit to matches
Sun hats and caps
A hat is clothing under Appendix A.12.2 of the Laws. In Test cricket the ICC's January 2024 regulations require caps and sunhats to match across the team, with a white sunhat allowed, so a team may already supply its own.
Best for: Fielders, umpires, scorers and spectators
Bat grips
A small gift for a regular batter. Law 5.2 lets the upper handle be covered with a grip, and Appendix B.2.4 limits it to 2.75 in (6.99 cm) past the junction of the upper and lower handle. Fitting one is for the maker's instructions; this site gives no procedure.
Best for: Players who already own a bat
Sources
- MCC, The Laws of Cricket, 2017 Code 4th Edition (2026), in force from 1 October 2026
- MCC, Ten major changes to the Laws for the 2026 edition
- ICC, history of cricket: the 20th century
- ICC, helmets (rules and regulations page, current 2026)
- ICC Clothing and Equipment Rules and Regulations (effective January 2024)
- ICC Men's One-Day International Playing Conditions (effective October 2026)
- BSI Knowledge, BS 7928:2013+A1:2019 Specification for head protectors for cricketers
- New Zealand Cricket, NZC Helmet Policy 2024-25
- ECB Recreational Cricket Safety Regulations 2025 (reproduced in a Cornwall Cricket handbook)
- Health Canada, junior cricket sets recalled due to presence of lead and phthalates (14 August 2023)