Sports Illustrated showed a picture of the Aussie wicketkeeper diving for a ball. That SI would show cricket is amazing enough, but what was news to me was that the 'keeper’s gloves had a flap between the thumb and forefinger. I never saw sucha thing when I played, too many years ago. When did such gloves start being used? Have they always been legal or has there been a rule change?
There has apparently been a change to the Laws of Cricket in 2000. But webbing isn’t allowed, at least in England, except for a piece of material between thumb and forefinger of the glove.
Yeah, I know it isn’t really webbing, but I couldn’t think what else to call it. Silly me - “single piece of non-stretch, non-pouching material” is so obvious, once you’ve heard it.
As long as I can remember (say… 20 years) keeper’s gloves have had the web from forefinger to thumb.
Ice Wolf, I think the rule-chance was ratified by the ICC a year or so ago, which means the pouchy webbing is banned worldwide. I don’t have my Wisden Almanack handy, so I can’t confirm.