Wicket keeping gloves are the one piece of cricket kit you cannot improvise. A batter with tired gloves has a bad day; a keeper with the wrong gloves drops chances all afternoon and drives home with bruised palms. At our Edison, NJ store we keep over twenty models on the wall at any given time, from $39.99 junior pairs up to $99.99 aniline leather professional gloves, and keepers of every level try them on across our counter each week. This guide covers every wicket keeping glove currently in stock — what each one is made of, who it suits, and how to size it — using the same advice we give in person.
One thing to clear up first, because it confuses online shoppers constantly: wicket keeping gloves are sold as a pair. Both hands come in the box. The SG product pages even spell it out — "Quantity: One Pair / (Two) 2 Numbers." What you buy separately are inner gloves: thin cotton or chamois liners worn underneath the main gloves to absorb sweat and soften repeated impact. More on those below.
Keeping Gloves vs Batting Gloves: Why You Cannot Substitute
Batting gloves put their padding on the back of the hand, because that is what faces the bowler. Keeping gloves flip the logic: the working surface is the palm, which is faced with textured rubber — usually a pimpled or "octopus" suction-cup pattern — so the ball sticks instead of skidding off leather. The fingers are protected by rolls or pre-shaped inserts rather than sausage padding, and a web strap between thumb and index finger widens the catching zone.
That webbing is regulated. The Laws of Cricket (Law 40.2) restrict how the connecting web between thumb and index finger can be built, so it cannot act as a scoop. Better gloves state compliance on the spec sheet — the EM MSD Dhoni, for example, lists a reinforced web strap that is Law 40.2 compliant. If you play in a league with umpires who check equipment, that line on the product page matters.
What to Look For in a Wicket Keeping Glove
Palm face and grip pattern
Nearly every glove we stock uses one of two palm faces. Pimpled rubber, on models like the SG RSD ProLite and SS Aerolite, is a flat dimpled sheet — durable, predictable, slightly firmer feel. Octopus-pattern rubber, on the SG Hilite, SG KLR-1, SS Professional and both Gray-Nicolls 6 Elite sizes, uses small suction-style rings that grab the ball on contact. Keepers who stand up to the stumps tend to prefer octopus palms for the extra bite on rising balls; there is no wrong answer for standing back.
The catching cup
A good keeping glove is pre-shaped so the palm naturally forms a pocket. Kookaburra builds this into its Kahuna line as a named feature — the Kahuna Pro 3.0 pairs its catching cup with a straight-set thumb so the hand relaxes into position. EM takes a similar approach on the MSD Dhoni with a thumb setting designed to deepen the cup. When you try a glove on, close your hands around an imaginary ball: the glove should want to make that shape, not fight it.
Backing and lining
This is where price is decided. Entry and club gloves use PVC or PU backs with cotton lining — light, weatherproof, less breathable. Premium gloves move to leather: the SS Professional uses a perforated sheepskin back for airflow, the SG Hilite and KLR-1 are aniline leather with all-leather palms and cuffs, and the EM MSD Dhoni is aniline sheep leather front and back with a brushed cotton lining and a K-Flex support patch across the back of the hand. Leather backs mold to your hand over a season; PVC stays the shape it left the factory.
Cuffs and wrist
Long padded cuffs (SG Test, SG Hilite) protect the wrist when standing back to quick bowling. Shorter cuffs — Kookaburra calls theirs the Aussie short cuff on the Kahuna Pro Players — free up wrist mobility for keepers who stand up and take balls one-handed. Check the cuff lining too: towel-lined cuffs like the SG Test's soak up sweat that would otherwise run into the palm.
Every Adult Wicket Keeping Glove In Stock, Compared
Prices below are what we are charging today; stock on several models runs only a pair or two deep, so if a specific glove matters to you, do not sit on it. Every link goes to the live product page where you can confirm current availability.
| Model | Price | Palm face | Back / lining | Standout detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SG RSD ProLite | $44.99 | Pimpled rubber | Synthetic / cotton | Lightest way into a proper keeping glove |
| SG KLR Prolite | $49.99 | Octopus rubber | PVC | KL Rahul line styling at entry price |
| SG Super Club | $49.99 | Rubber | PVC/PU, cotton lining | Calf leather palm, padded cuffs |
| SS Dragon | $49.99 | Rubberized | Real leather | Pre-shaped plastozote fingers, fiber inserts on the two lead fingers |
| SG League | $54.99 | Rubber | Leather palm, PVC cuffs | Towel-lined cuffs |
| Gray-Nicolls 6 Elite | $59.99 | Octopus Grip | Lightweight synthetic | X-Lite HDF padding; our deepest-stocked adult glove |
| EM Flexi Pro | $59.99 | Rubber | Synthetic | High-density foam cuff |
| Kookaburra Kahuna Pro 3.0 | $59.99 | Calf leather + rubber | Cotton palm lining | Catching cup, straight-set thumb, reinforced web |
| SG Thunder Pro | $64.99 | Octopus rubber | All-leather | Full leather build under $65 |
| Gray-Nicolls X600 Elite | $64.99 | Cushioned rubber | Breathable lining | Lightweight, flexible finger design |
| SG Test | $74.99 | Tricolor power grip | Genuine leather | All-leather palm, cuffs and back; towel-lined cuff |
| SS Aerolite | $74.99 | Pimpled rubber | Synthetic / leather lining | Wear patches on the finger backs |
| SS Professional | $79.99 | Multicolor octopus | Perforated sheepskin | Fully leather lined, HD foam cuff |
| EM Maxxum 2.0 | $79.99 | Rubber | Synthetic | Heavy-duty padding for regular keepers |
| SG Hilite (White) | $89.99 | Octopus rubber | Aniline leather | All-leather palm, cuffs and back |
| SG Hilite (Gold) | $89.99 | Octopus rubber | Aniline leather | Same glove, gold trim |
| Gray-Nicolls Limited Edition (Blue) | $89.99 | Rubber | PU + top-end leather | Limited colorway, pace-absorbing PU |
| SG KLR-1 | $99.99 | Octopus rubber | Aniline leather | Generous catching pockets, padded leather cuff |
| EM MSD Dhoni | $99.99 | Aniline sheep leather | Sheep leather / brushed cotton | Grade 1 glove; K-Flex back patch, Law 40.2 web strap |
| EM MSD Dhoni (Black/Deep Green) | $99.99 | Aniline sheep leather | Sheep leather / brushed cotton | Same build, CSK-style colorway |
Under $50: honest starters
The SG RSD ProLite at $44.99 is what we hand a new adult keeper who is not yet sure the job is theirs for the season. Pimpled rubber palm, cotton lining, nothing exotic — but it holds catches and will not fall apart in a summer. The SG KLR Prolite and SG Super Club at $49.99 add octopus rubber and a calf leather palm respectively, and the SS Dragon's pre-shaped plastozote fingers with fiber inserts on the two lead fingers give it the best finger protection of the four. What you give up under $50 is leather backing and refinement, not function.
$50 to $75: the club sweet spot
This is where most club keepers should shop, and the Gray-Nicolls 6 Elite at $59.99 is the glove we recommend most often across the counter. Gray-Nicolls' X-Lite HDF padding keeps the weight down, the Octopus Grip palm bites well standing up or back, and it is also our deepest-stocked adult model, so sizing exchanges are painless. The Kookaburra Kahuna Pro 3.0 at the same price is the pick if you want a calf leather palm and Kookaburra's catching cup shape. At $64.99 the SG Thunder Pro gets you a full leather build, and at $74.99 the SG Test — the same all-leather, towel-lined-cuff pattern SG has made for decades — is the traditional choice for long-format keepers.
$75 to $100: leather all the way down
Past $75 every glove is a career purchase. The SS Professional ($79.99) is the breathability pick with its perforated sheepskin back and full leather lining. The SG Hilite ($89.99, white or gold trim) and SG KLR-1 ($99.99) are aniline leather throughout with generous catching pockets. And the EM MSD Dhoni ($99.99, two colorways) is the spec-sheet champion of our wall: grade 1 rated, aniline sheep leather on every surface, a K-Flex support patch across the backhand, fiber wear patches at the finger ends and that Law 40.2-compliant reinforced web. Keepers who take fifty-plus balls a week behind the stumps feel the difference in the second season, when cheaper gloves have gone soft.
Junior and Youth Wicket Keeping Gloves
Junior gloves are not shrunken adult gloves — the hand frame, cuff length and padding weight are scaled so a ten-year-old can actually close the pocket. SG publishes palm-length targets on its product pages that we use as the starting point at the counter: Adult 220–230 mm, Youth 190–200 mm, Junior 155–165 mm. Measure from the tip of the middle finger to the base of the palm and buy the bracket the measurement lands in, not the one the child will grow into; an oversized keeping glove rotates on impact and turns catches into rebounds.
| Model | Sizes in stock | Price | Standout detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| SG Club | XS Junior | $39.99 | Cheapest true keeping glove we stock |
| SG KLR Xtreme | Junior, XS Junior | $44.99 | Octopus palm, padded cuff |
| SG Super Club | Youth | $44.99 | Leather palm, towel-lined cuffs |
| DSC Xlite 35 | Junior | $44.99 | Aniline leather with PU reinforcement |
| EM Classic Match | Junior, Youth | $49.99 | Reinforced finger section |
| SS Match | Youth | $49.99 | Calf leather, cotton-filled palms |
| EM GT 4.0 | Junior | $54.99 | Neoprene rubber palm grip |
| Gray-Nicolls 6 Elite | Junior, Youth | $54.99–$59.99 | Same X-Lite HDF spec as the adult glove |
| Gray-Nicolls X600 Elite | Junior | $59.99 | Lightweight, quick-hands design |
| Kookaburra Kahuna Pro 3.0 | Youth | $59.99 | Catching cup scaled for developing hands |
| Kookaburra Ghost Players Replica | Youth | $89.99 | Corrugated fibre inserts, traditional sausage fingers |
| Kookaburra Kahuna Pro Players | Youth | $89.99 | Sheep leather back, K-Flex support, Aussie short cuff |
For a young keeper in a hard-ball league, we steer parents toward the Gray-Nicolls 6 Elite or Kookaburra Kahuna Pro 3.0 in youth sizes: both carry genuine adult protective tech scaled down rather than a toy-grade build. The two $89.99 Kookaburra youth models exist for serious academy players — if your child keeps every weekend and trains midweek, the Ghost Players Replica's fibre inserts are worth the stretch. Browse the full junior wicket keeping gloves collection to see everything side by side.
Inner Gloves: The $10 to $20 Add-On That Is Not Optional
Every keeper we know wears inners. They soak up sweat that would otherwise rot the main glove's lining, they add a padding layer for repeated takes, and they let you wash something after a hot day that is not the glove itself. We stock them from $9.99: the SG Club and SG League cotton inners at $9.99, the SS Supertest padded chamois inners for juniors and youth at $14.99, the SG Test inners at $16.99 in adult and junior/youth sizes, and the Gray-Nicolls Pro Chamois at $19.99 in padded and plain versions. Chamois inners grip the inside of the glove when damp, which many keepers prefer; cotton is cooler and cheaper. Our full breakdown of cotton vs chamois vs padded is in the inner gloves guide.
Sizing: How We Fit Keepers at the Edison Counter
When someone tries keeping gloves on in our Edison store, we run the same four checks every time. First, a full fist held for ten seconds — any pinch across the knuckles means the hand frame is too small. Second, fingers spread wide — the rolls should flex with the fingers, not bind them straight. Third, hands cupped around a ball — the glove should fall into a pocket shape on its own. Fourth, a wrist rotation with the strap done up — if the cuff shifts, the glove will rotate exactly when you dive. Ordering online, replicate the first step of this with the palm-length measurement above and the size chart on each product page, and remember that inners add a few millimeters — if you measure at the top of a bracket, size the main glove up.
Five Mistakes We See Every Season
- Buying batting gloves for keeping. The padding is on the wrong side and the palm has no grip face. They are different tools.
- Sizing by age instead of hand length. A big-handed twelve-year-old may need Youth; a small-handed fourteen-year-old may not. Measure first.
- Skipping inners. A $10 liner doubles the working life of a $90 glove's lining. There is no cheaper insurance in cricket.
- Choosing maximum padding by default. Bulk slows glovework. Club keepers standing back need less protection than they think and more mobility than they realize.
- Keeping in a dead glove. Cracked finger rolls, foam that does not rebound, a strap that will not hold tension — any one of these means replacement, not repair.
FAQ: Cricket Wicket Keeping Gloves
Do cricket wicket keeping gloves come in pairs?
Yes. Unlike baseball mitts, cricket keeping gloves are always sold and worn as a pair — SG lists them as "One Pair / (Two) 2 Numbers" on its spec sheets. Inner gloves are also sold in pairs, separately.
What is the difference between wicket keeping gloves and batting gloves?
Keeping gloves carry a rubber grip face on the palm and a web strap between thumb and index finger for catching; batting gloves pad the back of the hand for facing the bowler. Neither substitutes for the other, and under the Laws only the keeper may wear gloves in the field.
Do I need inner gloves with wicket keeping gloves?
Strictly no, practically yes. Inners manage sweat, cushion repeated takes and protect the main glove's lining. At $9.99 to $19.99 they are the cheapest meaningful upgrade in your kit bag.
What size wicket keeping gloves should I buy?
Measure from middle fingertip to palm base. SG's brackets are a reliable guide across brands: 220–230 mm Adult, 190–200 mm Youth, 155–165 mm Junior. Between sizes, go up if you wear padded inners.
Are webbed wicket keeping gloves legal?
Yes, within limits. Law 40.2 governs the web between thumb and index finger so it cannot form a pouch. Quality gloves state compliance — the EM MSD Dhoni's reinforced web strap is listed as Law 40.2 compliant on its spec sheet.
How much should I spend on wicket keeping gloves?
Occasional and social keepers are fully served at $45–$60. Regular club keepers should look at $60–$80 for leather construction that survives a full season. Past $80 you are buying aniline leather and pro-grade protection that makes sense if you keep every week.
Try Them On in Edison, or Ship Them Free
Keeping gloves are the most fit-sensitive item we sell, so if you are anywhere near central New Jersey, come squeeze a few pairs: TopCricketStore, 37 Meridian Rd, Edison, NJ — open Monday to Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 8 PM. We will run the four-point fit check with you and you can compare the SG, Gray-Nicolls, SS, Kookaburra and EM walls side by side. Ordering online, most glove-plus-inners combinations clear our free US shipping threshold at $100, and everything ships from New Jersey with 7-day returns if the fit is wrong. Start with the full wicket keeping gloves collection, or jump straight to SG adult keeping gloves if you already know your brand.