Wicket keeping equipment is purpose-built for the most physically demanding position in cricket. A keeper wears their kit for the entire match, crouches hundreds of times, and catches or dives repeatedly - demands that batting gear is simply not designed for. This collection covers the complete wicket keeping setup: outer keeping gloves with webbed palms for clean catching, keeping pads cut low for deep stances, and inner gloves that absorb sweat and protect fingers across long stints behind the stumps. At Fore Sports we stock keeping gear for junior and adult players across all levels, with clear product specifications to help you build the right kit without guesswork.

Why Choose Our Wicket Keeping Equipment?

  • Purpose-Built for Keeping: Keeping gloves, pads and inners are engineered for catching, crouching and lateral movement - not adapted batting equipment.
  • Full Kit in One Collection: Outer gloves, inner gloves and keeping pads all in one place. Build a complete keeping setup in a single order.
  • Junior and Adult Sizes: All keeping equipment is available in correctly proportioned junior and adult sizes. Junior gear is lighter and sized for smaller hands and shorter legs.
  • Durable Match-Day Construction: Keeping gear takes repeated impact from hard balls at close range. Products hold their protection properties across a full season of regular use.
  • Free UK Delivery Over £100: Combine gloves, inners and pads in one order and qualify for free UK shipping.

Key Features

  • Webbed Palm Gloves: Our Keeping Gloves Black feature the webbed thumb-to-index-finger palm required for clean, safe catching - the most important design feature in a keeping glove.
  • Low-Profile Keeping Pads: The Keeping Pad White is shorter and more angled than batting pads to allow unrestricted crouching and lateral movement.
  • Moisture-Absorbing Inners: Wicket Keeping Inner Gloves absorb sweat and reduce friction under outer gloves across long stints, extending the life of the outers and improving comfort.

How to Choose Wicket Keeping Equipment

Outer gloves define the position. Look for a webbed palm between thumb and forefinger, foam padding across all fingers, and a secure wrist strap. Browse our wicket keeping gloves for the full range. The fit should be snug enough that the glove does not shift when you catch, but not so tight it restricts circulation during a long spell.

Never substitute batting pads for keeping pads. Batting pads have a high knee roll that blocks the deep crouching a keeper needs. Keeping pads are shorter, lighter and angled to allow full stance movement. Using batting pads for a full session will be apparent within the first few overs.

Always buy inners with outers. Wicket keeping inner gloves are mandatory at most levels of organised cricket and significantly extend outer glove life by absorbing the sweat and friction that would otherwise degrade the palm. Buy a spare pair - they wear faster than outers.

Size by hand, not age. Check the size chart on each product page - keeping gloves that are too large shift on impact and reduce catching efficiency.

FAQs

Keeping gloves have a webbed palm for catching and padded fingers to absorb repeated ball impact. Batting gloves protect the knuckles and back of the hand. The two are not interchangeable - using batting gloves for keeping is unsafe and impractical.
Yes. Keeping inner gloves are worn under outer gloves to absorb sweat, reduce friction and protect fingers. They are required under the Laws of Cricket at most levels and extend outer glove life significantly.
A low-profile knee roll that does not restrict crouching, lightweight construction for mobility, and secure straps that stay put during repeated movement. Browse our wicket keeping pads for junior and adult options. Junior pads must be correctly sized to the player's leg length.
No. Adult keeping gear is too heavy and incorrectly proportioned for junior players. See our full junior cricket equipment range for correctly sized junior options across all positions.
Wipe down after each use with a damp cloth and air dry away from direct heat. Store flat or lightly stuffed to maintain shape. Replace inners regularly; replace outers when padding is compressed or stitching fails. See our bat care kit range for general cricket equipment care products.