Helmets for cricketers, footballers, motorists, not cyclists

[Mick F]

Why don't they just ban cricket, as it's obviously very dangerous.

[De Sisti]

You are forgetting one important thing
Head injuries suffered by non-cyclists hurt less, are less traumatic, the effects on families are far less,

Errrr, what about the occupants of the stolen Renault Cleo in Leeds over the weekend who died when the car crashed.
They would have survived had they been wearing helmets!

[mjr]

What about cricket helmets?

Batsperson and Wicketperson wear them, but not bowlers or fielders, why not?

It's partly that cricket helmets are very solid and thus warm when standing out in the sun for hours, resulting in poor decision-making and eventually heat-related problems, if I remember the research.

[Cyril Haearn]

What about cricket helmets?

Batsperson and Wicketperson wear them, but not bowlers or fielders, why not?

It's partly that cricket helmets are very solid and thus warm when standing out in the sun for hours, resulting in poor decision-making and eventually heat-related problems, if I remember the research.

+1, a great chance for the helmet industry to develop cooling systems €€!
A good start would be white instead of black, does not get so hot

[[XAP]Bob]

What about cricket helmets?

Batsperson and Wicketperson wear them, but not bowlers or fielders, why not?

Because the risk profile for the different places on the field are drastically different.

The batsman has a ball bowled at them at 90mph, it may swing in the air, cut off the seam, hit a dent made from a previous ball and leap up. It may just be a bouncer. Being 'in the line of fire' for 1/2 the deliveries whilst you are out on the pitch is a fairly significant risk profile.

There is evidence that bowlers are happier bowling bouncers at helmeted batsmen, but remember the body line series? It's not a new phenomenon.

The Keeper has the same issue when standing up to the stumps, with the additional uncertainty caused by losing sight of the ball as the batsman moves around and the possible deflections of the bat/gloves/pads/batsman...

At Silly Point/Short Leg then a good strike by the batsman will have a ball coming towards you at well over 90mph, and you have a handful of metres warning... that's not alot of time...


The bowler, even with a good drive from the batsman has 20 yards of warning, still not a lot - but they also make a much smaller target.

Elsewhere on the field there is plenty of warning, so there is no need for a helmet...

[bovlomov]

I can't find the files at the moment (so it may not be exactly right), but...

Some years ago, research was published which showed that the extra heat generated under a cricket helmet slowed down reaction times. It was a marginal thing, and the summary suggested that the batsman would be safer keeping the helmet on. But the summary went on to say that this shouldn't be a reason to stop wearing other kinds of helmet (e.g. cycle helmets).

I wrote to the author of the paper, asking whether the research supported this view. After all, if one loses concentration playing cricket, the worst that can happen is that you'll get hit on the head by the ball - EXACTLY the event the helmet is designed for. Losing concentration on a bicycle might put you under a lorry - an event the cycle helmet ISN'T designed for.

The author replied, saying that his sponsors had added that bit, and that the research didn't cover other types of helmet.

There are confounding factors either way. Cricket helmets are heavier and more solid than cycle helmets (so probably hotter). On the other hand, unless the batsman is amassing a huge score of runs without scoring boundaries, he is unlikely to be putting in the effort (or generating the heat) of a cyclist.

The same research could be done specifically for cycle helmets, but perhaps no one wants to pay for it. I often wonder about the air vents. Going at 20mph, I suppose you'd get a good flow. But what about the person pootling along at 5mph? What would an airflow/speed/temperature graph look like?

Anyone here done any DIY research on helmet temperature?

[Cyril Haearn]

A batsman could get very hot just standing still under the sun

I think physical exercise and *Fahrtwind*# keep me alert when cycling, never done more than 150 miles in a day mind

#Vocab: Fahrtwind (German) ventilation created by movement, literally *riding wind*, or *ram-air effect*

[mjr]

Some years ago, research was published which showed that the extra heat generated under a cricket helmet slowed down reaction times. It was a marginal thing, and the summary suggested that the batsman would be safer keeping the helmet on. But the summary went on to say that this shouldn't be a reason to stop wearing other kinds of helmet (e.g. cycle helmets).

The effects of wearing protective helmets on attentional processes in young cricketers by Neave N, Emmett J, Moss M, Scholey A, Wesnes K. Northumbria University, Cognitive Science Unit. 2004.

Anyone here done any DIY research on helmet temperature?

Not formally, but I don't miss washing sweaty helmet pads - and my ordinary cycling hats don't seem to need washing anywhere near as much, not even the winter fleece ones!

[bovlomov]

The effects of wearing protective helmets on attentional processes in young cricketers by Neave N, Emmett J, Moss M, Scholey A, Wesnes K. Northumbria University, Cognitive Science Unit. 2004.

Many thanks. That might help me find the email correspondence (if it hasn't disappeared on an old pc).

[thirdcrank]

I'm old enough to remember cricket without helmets and - without any data to support the assertion - I believe that the frequency of deliveries aimed at or around the head has increased since their introduction, especially when the batter is not one selected for their batting.

[Bonefishblues]

I'm old enough to remember cricket without helmets and - without any data to support the assertion - I believe that the frequency of deliveries aimed at or around the head has increased since their introduction, especially when the batter is not one selected for their batting.

The number of such deliveries per over is now limited vs the "rabbits".

[[XAP]Bob]

Not that umpires enforce the limit...

2/over, and on the fourth successive one they take a wicket. Should be called a no ball imho.

[thirdcrank]

My main point was that the conventions / instincts / whatever, which deter somebody from targeting the human head with a cricket ball are diminished if that head is protected with a helmet. I don't know what the current rules are about fielders wearing them as it's a long time since I watched any, but a fielder in a helmet might have fewer concerns about being close enough to the bat to risk being hit by it rather than the ball.

[Bonefishblues]

Not that umpires enforce the limit...

2/over, and on the fourth successive one they take a wicket. Should be called a no ball imho.

Yes, I thought about making that point in my post.

[The utility cyclist]

batsmen less skilled at high balls nowadays and get struck more often including death, classic risk compensation.
Helmet manufacturers have stated Phil Hughes death could not be prevented by ANY modern/improved helmet (he was wearing one), solution should be to ban bouncers {FFE - family-friendly edit }. I say this as an ex medium quick/
Gridiron had deaths and they brought in helmets, consequence, more TBIs and even more deaths, suicides, early onset dementia etc, boxing, more tbi cases, helmets are NEVER EVER THE ANSWER!