Determining the effect of cricket leg guards on running performance

Abstract

ABSTRACT:Modern day cricket has experienced a shift towards limited over games, where the emphasis is on scoring runs at a rapid rate. The use of protective equipment in cricket is mandatory, however, players perceive that leg guards, in particular, can restrict their motion. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of cricket leg guards on running performance. Initial testing, revealed that wearing pads significantly increased the total time taken to complete three runs by up to 0.5 s when compared to running without pads (p<0.05). In addition, it was found that the degree of impedance was dependent on pad design and could not be solely attributed to additional weight. To assess possible causes of reduced running performance, a biomechanical analysis was performed, investigating running kinematics, stride parameters and ground reaction forces. The results revealed that the widest pad had the greatest effect on running kinematics, increasing hip abduction and decreasing hip extension resulting in a shortened stride length (by 0.10 m) and increased stride width (by 0.12 m) when compared to running without pads. Wearing pads also significantly increased peak braking force (by up to 0.3 BW), braking impulse (by up to 0.012 BW.s), peak mediolateral force (by up to 0.17 BW) and mediolateral impulse (by up to 0.016 BW.s) when compared to running without pads, which resulted in reduced force applied in the direction of locomotion. The consequence of this reduction in running performance is an increased risk of being run-out or a reduction in the number of runs that could be scored from a particular shot.

Exploring the influence of task and environmental constraints on batting and bowling performance in cricket: A systematic review

“…33 However, one study did report differences in sprint time between different types of pads. 36 The disparity in these findings reported could be due to the variation in weight and dimension of the batting pads used in both the studies, which in turn could have affected running time; though further research is required to determine whether the design of batting pads could potentially impart better running time. The use of different ball types (Kookaburra and Duke) on state level cricketers was also reported to have little impact on batting performance.…”

“…16,[28][29][30] Ten studies reported the effect of equipment, namely batting pads, ball type and bats on cricketer's performance and these studies reported performance parameters such as three runs time, runs (boundaries), rebound characteristics of the ball, bowling speed and accuracy. 10,20,21,27,31,[33][34][35][36][37] The remaining six studies investigated the effect of pitch type on bowling performance. [22][23][24][25]32,38 The summary of findings of the included studies has been provided in Table 2.…”

Development of Lightweight Cricket Pads Using Knitted Flexible Thermoplastic Composites with Improved Impact Protection

“…PVC has high chemical resistance, which makes it difficult to recycle. Because of this, PVC has lost importance in recent years [ 11 , 12 ]. PU is now more widely adopted, as it is more readily recyclable, and is as cheap and durable as PVC.…”

“…The major benefit of high-density foam is that it is extremely lightweight, as it is largely made up of air. However, such synthetic materials are derived from non-renewable natural resources, e.g., oil, which contributes to global warming and has limited end-of-life disposal routes [ 11 , 12 ]. Research on potential sustainable innovation opportunities is needed.…”