A Guide to Cricket First Aid Kits

Whether played professionally or recreationally, cricket is a popular sport, with over 364,000 people playing in the UK. Despite its historic popularity, cricket can be a risky activity. While the movement required during a cricket game or training session presents the risk of muscle or joint injury (as with many other sports), the cricket ball can be a significant risk in itself. Cricket balls can be bowled at over 100kph and weigh 163g!

While there are many safety measures for cricket players to protect themselves, accidents and common cricket injuries still happen, with fielders who go without gloves or helmets being at the most risk while playing.

Every cricket club in the UK is expected to have appropriate health and safety measures as a duty of care. Having the correct first aid provisions is a top priority, including having well-stocked cricket first aid kits to hand. Alongside ensuring your club has an up-to-date risk assessment and emergency action plan, ensuring that you have a minimum of one sports first aid kit available at all times is essential.

We will cover the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) guidance on first aid measures, a first aid kit list for cricket clubs, choosing the right cricket first aid kit for your club, and some of the safety precautions you can take to keep your cricket players safe.

ECB’s Cricket First Aid Kit Requirements

Whether you’re in a junior, senior, amateur, or professional cricket club, it is well worth getting a Clubmark certification through the ECB to ensure you have all the suitable measures in place to keep your players safe in an emergency.

Clubmark certified cricket clubs must have an appointed first aider on hand at all times, and junior sections of all cricket clubs must have at least one well-stocked first aid kit readily available. The ECB does not outline what specific contents are required in your designated first aid kit but recommends following the first aid kit guidelines from the British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance.

Ensure you meet the requirements of the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 by securing provisions for health, safety, and welfare at your cricket club. You should complete a risk assessment that considers the risks posed to cricket players during matches and training sessions and any other hazards concerning the club premises, such as unsafe equipment, ground conditions, fire safety, and clear signage.

Taking the time to thoroughly assess all the risks present in your cricket club, including considering your players’ fitness, age, and any health issues will help you decide which is the best first aid kit for cricket match events and training sessions. For more information on all sports first aid kit essentials, you can visit our blog.

Sterosport is a leading supplier of sports first aid equipment to professional and amateur sports teams across the UK, and we offer a great selection of first aid kits to meet your cricket club’s needs.

Larger clubs playing more advanced and demanding cricket would benefit from having a more comprehensive sports medical kit available, with first aid equipment suitable for pitch-side treatment or professional physiotherapy. Our sports first aid kit would cater well for most cricket clubs, and our Junior Sports Team First Aid Kit would suit junior teams or cricket clubs where minors are present.

Cricket First Aid Kit Essentials

To make sure your club is safe and compliant, you should have at least one trained first aider on hand to take care of your cricket team and take action on the findings of your risk assessment. This will include knowing everything you need to have in your cricket first aid kit.

Our comprehensive Sports First Aid Kit is great value, providing everything you need to offer first aid care when your players need it the most. This kit contains premium quality first aid items to cater for all cricket-related injuries.

The essential items that all cricket first aid kits should contain are:

• First Aid Guidance Leaflet
• Foil Blanket
• Crepe Bandages
• Conforming Bandages
• Triangular Bandages
• Adhesive Wound Dressings
• Low Adherent Dressings
• Eye pad Wound Dressing
• Finger Wound Dressing
• Medium Wound Dressing
• Large Wound Dressing
• Wound Closures/Sutures
• Elastic Adhesive Bandages
• Clinical Waste Bags
• Gauze Swabs
• Gloves (in pairs)
• Freeze Spray
• Eye and Wound Wash Pods
• Instant Ice Packs
• Zinc Oxide Tape 
• Microporous Tape
• Petroleum Jelly 
• Washproof Plasters
• Alcohol-free wipes
• Resusciade Face Shield
• Safety Pins
• Tweezers
• Blunt-ended Scissors

Check out our blog for more details on the features and benefits of these items and a handy cricket first aid kit checklist.

Cricket Safety Precautions

Appointing a trained first aider and providing access to a well-stocked cricket first aid kit are necessary measures to take to increase the safety of cricketers, but it’s essential to consider other safety precautions to take on the cricket field.

Handling the Conditions

Cricket is often played in hot conditions, so dehydration and heat stress are common issues for cricket players and spectators. Plan in plenty of breaks for cricket players and ensure everyone is well-hydrated, supplied with a hat or helmet where possible, and encourage the regular use of sunscreen to reduce the impact of prolonged, active play during warm weather conditions. Also, make sure that everyone involved is aware of the symptoms of heat-related illness to quickly spot and prevent someone from becoming seriously unwell. Where conditions are extremely hot or rainy, consider postponing or rescheduling the game to prevent safety risks for your players, including heatstroke or slips and falls.

Warming Up and Cooling Down

Overuse injuries, including shoulder strains and back injuries, are common in cricket, particularly for bowlers who repeatedly extend their arms at high speeds. Cricket coaches should ensure that every player completes stretches, warm-up, and cool-down exercises before and after play, for training sessions as well as matches. This will prepare cricket players’ bodies for the physical exertion required during play and reduce the likelihood of avoidable overuse injuries.

Coaching the Right Techniques

Regular training to improve players’ fitness and coaching a good knowledge of the right cricket techniques is vital to keep players safe. Knowing the correct bowling, batting, and catching practice will reduce the risk of serious injuries.

Wearing the Right Protective Gear

Wearing the right gear is also an essential safety precaution to protect all cricketers’ safety, even while training. Protective gear is effective in reducing the risk of concussion, bruising, and even fractures and breakages. Essential safety gear for cricket players includes a helmet with a faceguard, a mouthguard, gloves, leg pads, forearm guards and boxes.

Where a player has a history of injuries or is still recovering from an injury, seek the advice of a sports physiotherapist about the need for taping, strapping, or bracing that could protect from further damage. It’s also a good idea to make sure all players are wearing comfortable, well-fitting footwear appropriate for cricket activity.

Maintaining a Safe Playing Environment

Making sure the environment is safe before playing cricket is important. Take the time ahead of a match to ensure the ground being played on is safe. This includes removing all hazards such as water, stones, litter, or branches to reduce the risk of trips or falls. You should also make sure that the cricket pitch is smooth, level, and clean.

Cricket First Aid Training

The advice for cricket coaches is to get first aid training to handle accidents and emergencies safely, even if you already have everything on your first aid kit list for cricket. You will need to keep your first aid training up to date with a refresher first aid course every three years. You may want to get other appointed first aiders trained up to make sure you have someone on hand whenever you need them.

Being equipped with the knowledge to handle first aid emergencies, including concussion, shock symptoms, dehydration, wound trauma, sprained joints, muscle swelling, and cardiac arrest, is vital to making sure you keep your cricket team safe. Paired with a great cricket first aid kit, you can rest easy knowing you’re prepared for the worst.

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