Wicketkeeping Gloves & Inners

Specialist gloves with a web between thumb and index for catching, plus padded inner liners for impact absorption.

'Wicket' derives from the Old French 'wiket' (small gate); early cricket used a low two-stump 'gate' as the target.

Wicket-keeping as a specialist role dates to the 1770s; the modern glove-work standard was set by Bert Oldfield, Alan Knott, Ian Healy, and later Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni.

The web increases effective catching area by ~30% and creates a passive 'soft cup' that absorbs the ball without rebound.

Stand-up keeping uses tighter, more dexterous gloves; stand-back to pacers uses larger, more padded models.

Skipping inners — bare-hand keeping to pace causes finger jamming and long-term joint damage.