Interlocking batting glove taking a grip on the world game

D&P Cricket take a fresh look on how batting gloves should be made

Batsmen the world over curse their gloves. They are too sweaty! Their hand is not close enough to the bat! It twists in the hand! They feel too loose!

Fret no more. A company in South Africa, D&P Cricket, have devised a solution – an interlocking batting glove that comes in two segments.

Already popular in the Republic, they are sending them over to the UK, with the message: “Try this… you need to see it to believe it.” Part one is the gripper palm, which comes in three thicknesses. Then over the top of that comes the shield glove.

The product is being used by Khaya Zondo, Henry Davids and Laura Wolvaardt. Zondo is captain of the Dolphins, based at Durban. He has played in five one-day internationals for South Africa. Davids is a batsman with the Titans, based at Centurion. He has also played ODIs for the Proteas. And Wolvaardt opens the batting for South Africa Women. She smashed 149 in a World Cup warm-up game against Ireland last year, using D&P gear, then scored 324 runs at an average of 64.80 in the tournament itself, including 66 against England in the semi-final at Bristol.

“This is a great innovation,” Zondo says. “It is very comfortable, like you haven’t got a glove on. It gives me more control and you sweat a lot less. You have nice air going through.”

So comfortable

Davids says it is “really exciting – the grip is unbelievable. I batted for five hours in them and only used the one set. I am a keen golfer and it is like a golf glove. They are so comfortable. They are awesome.”

“They are a game-changer for cricket, and the women’s game,” added Wolvaardt.

The gripper palm is a real innovation, providing optimum control. It comes in three different thicknesses. Thin offers the ultimate grip for purists. Medium provides the same quality and the cotton palm is even softer. Thick provides extra padding. All three ranges come in small, medium and large. Then over the top of that comes the shield glove. It looks like a normal glove, but the space in the palm allows the gripper palm to lock in.

Now there is no need to dispense with the whole glove when the palm wears away. You retain the shield glove, and just replace the gripper palm.

The product air-dries easily, the extra air flow keeping the hand cool for a lot longer.

Paul Borst, the owner of D&P Cricket, is the inventor. An Englishman who moved to South Africa 21 years ago, he explains the thinking behind it.

“I have been selling cricket gear for 20 years, and had the initial idea 15 years ago. We had a pool of players who wanted the tightest-fitting glove possible, like a golf glove. They were using junior gloves, but they tore easily. I didn’t have the time initially to make this as running the business was time-consuming, but in the last three to four years I have been able to move this forward.”

Problem solving

“It solves the problem of the bat twisting in a batsman’s hand. There is no loose material. It allows batsmen to personalise the inner section. It also totally negates the need for batters to have two or three grips on their bat, or for players like Adam Gilchrist to have a squash ball in their glove.

“We launched this in South Africa last season and it sold out. The benefits were immediately obvious to players. Now I strongly urge cricketers in the UK to try this. You need to see it. Give it a go. You will not regret it.”

The glove is part of D&P’s SPEC range, standing for speed, power, efficiency and control, all with enhanced design.

It will not be long before big-name players in the UK will be sizing up these gloves for themselves.

For more info visit www.dpcricket.com