Are you looking for the best equipment to take your cricket skills to the next level? A lot of people are in the market for cricket training equipment to use as part of their club cricket training or even just in their garden as they try and get better at hitting those sixes or bowling something resembling a decent delivery.
Cricket is one of those sports that does need a bit of equipment, and the costs can add up sometimes, but in this guide we’ve got some excellent gear to help you, no matter what sort of budget or ability level you’re working with.
Katchet KatchMax
Katchet KatchMax – £50 at Pro Direct Cricket
Keep in mind the fact that you need the original Katchet to get the most out of this, as it sits on top of it.
The KatchMax is a great way to give you or your friends some fielding practice. By bouncing the ball on it you can provide some variable and unpredictable bounce, perfect for practicing those infield catches or even letting the wicket keeper have a proper workout.
For a relatively small investment, this can allow you to set up some simple catching drills to improve the fielding of everyone on your team.
For those wondering, the Katchet (original) is around £55 and should be purchased first before you invest in the KatchMax.
Pop Up Cricket Net
Pop Up Cricket Net – £40 at Cricket Direct
A cricket net has a lot of uses, and this affordable model can pop up on demand, meaning you can easily carry it out to the park with you. At six feet wide (once popped up) it gives you a surprising amount of coverage. This makes it suitable for many different drills. For batters, it can cut down on a lot of fielding and ball retrieval. For bowlers, it can provide you with a way to stop the ball, as well as a rough area to aim your deliveries if you wish.
If you are the sort of person who wants a way to practice alone or with one other friend then this net could be a really useful piece of kit – and saves you from losing balls. It even comes with a convenient carry bag.
R66T Academy Ball Feeder
R66T Academy Ball Feeder – £100 at Pro Direct Cricket
It is worth mentioning that a ball feeder and bowling machines aren’t really the same thing. This isn’t necessarily going to give you practice of hitting fast deliveries from the bowlers, but it is better to be able to practice your batting up against a moving ball. The R66T academy ball feeder lets you do exactly that.
The cricket batting aid pings balls up at a relatively gentle pace, and it is perfect for those beginner batters to start to get to grips with hitting balls coming towards them, graduating from hitting off a batting tee.
This is an affordable piece of kit, and it comes with eight practice balls too, further adding to the value. Not the best bowling machine, but a useful piece of practice equipment for aspiring cricketers.
Sidearm Elite Cricket Ball Thrower
Sidearm Elite Cricket Ball Thrower – £29 at Cricket Direct
The Sidearm thrower is designed to allow even the average cricketer be able to give throwdowns at a fast speed. It is easy to reach speeds in excess of 55mph without exerting yourself too much. This means that batters can practice hitting against quicker deliveries.
The ball thrower can be used with the majority of cricket balls and as well as being useful for batting exercises it can come in handy for some fielding drills, too.
It looks like those dog ball throwers, but it is made of some tough materials and actually shouldn’t be used with absolute beginners due to the ferocity it can launch balls with. For decent club cricketers, this is a useful piece of kit.
Ram Cricket Batting Bundle
Ram Cricket Batting Bundle – £189.81 at Ram Cricket
The cricket coaching equipment set is for coaches that need to get an affordable bundle to help their club to practice effectively, this could be the ideal solution and a great deal.
It can be used for batting, bowling, and fielding practice and includes:
12 x 3 Star Multi-purpose Cricket Balls
6 x Wind Balls (Junior or Senior) (Standard or Wind Finger)
1 x Breathable Ball Bag
1 x Batting Tees (Pack of 5)
1 x Technique Bat (Sizes SH, 6 or 4)
1 x Flexi Base Stumps
1 x Sidearm – Club
This is enough kit to keep plenty of young cricketers practicing and working on training drills, and you even get a ball bag to keep things stored away neatly. This is the kind of basic equipment that every village cricket club needs.
Conclusion
Cricket training equipment is constantly evolving as companies find new ways to invent coaching aids, but the basics stay the same, and all of the gear on this list will come in very handy on those fundamental training sessions, both for juniors and for adults, and for training in big groups, small groups, or even on your own.