Following the recent review of my bat, and all of the positive comments I received on the review I thought it might be an idea to carve myself a small niche within the Ciao community as a guide to cricket equipment.
The logical step, having discussed the implement with which you hit the ... Read review
Advantages: Lightweight, Decent Protection Disadvantages: Easy To Be Given Out
...it.
The county modulus pads retail at about £60, which is slightly above average for a batting pad. Believe it or not, you actually have buy pads depending on whether you are right or left handed. The amount of pretection on each pad varies, so your front leg (The right one in my case as I am a left handed bat) has greater protection that the back leg (Left leg in my case). On the modulus, this takes the form of an additional strip ... ...knee roll system on the county modulus, with a triple rolled section of the pad, with a specially installed strip sitting on the inside of the pad.
One very slight problem with all pads that I have encountered is that the cotton based pads on the inside of the pad are cotton fibre and have a serious tendency to absorb sweat and be sopping wet at the end of a hot afternoon in June. The smell by the end of the season is not a pleasant ... more
Following the recent review of my bat, and all of the positive comments I received on the review I thought it might be an idea to carve myself a small niche within the Ciao community as a guide to cricket equipment.
The logical step, having discussed the implement with which you hit the ball, is to discuss the things that will protect you if you miss it.
The county modulus pads retail at about £60, which is slightly above average for a batting pad. Believe it or not, you actually have buy pads depending on whether you are right or left handed. The amount of pretection on each pad varies, so your front leg (The right one in my case as I am a left handed bat) has greater protection that the back leg (Left leg in my case). On the modulus, this takes the form of an additional strip of padding down the front of the shin and a pad behind the flap at the top of the pad, over the bottom of the thigh. This may seem an unecessary complication, but when you have an angry 6 foot 5 quick bowler hurling a cricket ball at you somewhere close to 80 miles an hour, you really do want the extra protection.
The pads work on a 3 strap system, which instantly makes them recognizable as batting pads, rather than wicketkeeping pads. Trust me, you do NOT want to make that mistake. The upper strap is the most important, since if you have this too tight it affects the range of movement and makes it uncomfortable. If you have it too loose it'll chafe and be uncomfortable again. I have found that the width of this strap often contributes to this, and the thin width of the modulus strap makes this very comfortable. Batting is a long process, you can often spend a good 3 hours batting and comfort is a must.
The good thick strap around the middle of the pad gives a great level of support. The lower strap is the same as the middle strap, which is very useful since it is the strap that keep the pad in place. It is vital that the pad doesn't get twisted as this will compromise the protection of the pad itself and hamper movement.
The straps are all velcro because it is much easier to manhandle them whilst wearing gloves, the old buckle style dying out sometime in the early nineties.
It is vital when buying pads to make sure that they are the right height for your legs. How often have you seen some poor child waddling down the pitch, trying to scamper through for a single and then stopping to tighten their pads at the end of the strip. Well, that's because they have badly fitted pads, that are usually too big for them.
The front of the pad is where the real modulus technology comes in, and oddly enough where I have my first problem. Now, I'm not in any shape to go into the LBW law of cricket, but save to say that having a distinct panel slap bang in the middle of the pad, kind of lends itself to getting yourself out. If you get hit on this part of the pad, the ball will inevitably leave a mark, making it pretty clear to the umpire *exactly* where the ball hit you.
This strip is where the pads get their name. The modules hane a gel foam filled core with extensive air pockets, giving a higher level of cushioning when the ball strikes them. The remainder of the front of the pad is of the same ridges that you will find in 99% of pads on the market. They are designed to deflect the ball more than provide real protection, but perform this function fine.
There is an excellent knee roll system on the county modulus, with a triple rolled section of the pad, with a specially installed strip sitting on the inside of the pad.
One very slight problem with all pads that I have encountered is that the cotton based pads on the inside of the pad are cotton fibre and have a serious tendency to absorb sweat and be sopping wet at the end of a hot afternoon in June. The smell by the end of the season is not a pleasant thing. Thank God for Febreeze....
The design of the pads is what sets them apart, so aesthetically, they will get noticed. The county logo is mainly on the back of the pads, but there is the unmistakeable county logo in red on the top corner of each pad.
To be brutally honest, there is little advantage in a beginner buying these pads. There would be no noticeable difference in the protection that they offer, or the extra degrees of movement that they would allow. I have these because they are lightweight, top of the line and are incredibly comfortable. They retail at £60, and will generally last you 5 or 6 seasons before some new technology is out to take your fancy and offer even better protection with better weight benefits. The other side is that the Febreeze just doens't shift that stale sweat smell any more!
So yes, a slightly waffly review on what could simply be summed up as a decent pad that offers good protection, but gives away those easy LBW decisions.
