How to Play Cricket - Equipment & Apparel

To be a cricketer, it is not enough to think like one. You must also look like one. Here we will first cover the basic apparel of all cricketers, followed by the specific apparel and equipment used by batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeeprs respectively.
Basic Attire
In most levels of cricket, whether club, school or state, the attire expected of cricketers is usually the same. Nowadays, the top is a dri-fit or climacool jersey, and the pants are made from a special material, and are known as whites.

Specialised cricket shoes are also required, so that batsman have some grip on the pitch while they are batting (for balance), and also for bowlers so that running up before bowling to gain momentum is not difficult. The shoes usually are white, and come with special studs which are replacable.

Now let us look at the basic apparel and equipment used by batsman while they are batting.
Helmet

The basic function of the helmet of course is to protect the head and face of the batsman, especially from bouncing deliveries or balls bowled directly at the face. It can be tightened using the buckle (used to fasten it around the neck) as well as a screw at the back.
Leg Pads

These pads are fastened around the batsman's legs using 3 straps at the back of each pad, again for protection.
Gloves

A pair of gloves are used, one on each hand of course, to prevent injuries to the hands and fingers, which can be huge threats to a cricketer's career. Take it from How to Play Cricket: ALWAYS use gloves when batting, even for practice.
Groin Guard

The groin guard, or box as it is known is cricket, is of course very important, if you want to celebrate Father's Day that is. It is usually worn between the whites and the undergarments, and comes attached with a fastening mechanism. Again, it is a must have, whenever you are batting!
These are the basic things needed for you to begin batting. At the higher levels, where bowling is at very high speeds, other forms of protection are also used by batsman. Let us look at some of these.
Thigh Pad

This pad is fastened around the batsman's thigh to protect it from being hit by the ball. Again, this is usually worn between the whites and the undergarments
Arm Guard and Chest Pad

The arm guard is worn on the arm of the batsman that faces the bowler, which is the left arm for right handers and the right arm for left handers.
The chest pad is worn under the jersey, and is used again for protection against bouncin deliveries or those that come directly at the chest.
This basically covers all the apparel used by batsman in the game of cricket. Now let us look at the equipment used by batsmen, which is actuall just one thing. Here is the main weapon of mass destruction wielded by batsman, the cricket bat.
The Bat

Bats are made of willow, usually either Kashmir willow from India, or the more common and widely used English willow from, well, England. Each bat has 2 segments: The handle, and the blade. The Handle is where the batsman holds the bat when batting, and it is covered with a rubber covering, which gives it more friction, allowing the batsman to have a better grip of it. The blade is the rest of the bat, which makes contact with the ball bowled by the bowler, and is used to strike the ball and score runs. Each bat has a section which is the thickest and widest, known as its sweet spot. Batsman usually try to hit the ball using this sweet spot, as it makes strongest and cleanest contact with the ball at this point, sending it a further distance. With proper timing and use of the sweet spot, clearing the boundary becomes increasingly easier for batsman. Look forward to begin hitting boundaries at will, dear reader!
Now let us look at the main weapon in the arsenal of the bowler, the cricket ball.
The Cricket Ball

The standard cricket ball used in matches is a red or white leather ball made up of four pieces of leather, that has been coated with gloss to make it shiny and less susceptible to air-resistance when being bowled. When the ball is shiny, it is known as a new ball, when it has lost part of its shine as a match progresses, it is known as semi-new, and finally once it has lost most of its shine, it is called an old ball, which looks like this.

A seam runs along the circumference of the ball, and allows the ball to deviate in direction after it bounces off the pitch, after being bowled. This provides the bowler with a good means of taking wickets and dismissing batsman. The newer ball is usually used by the pace bowlers who require the ball to move faster through the air as well as make slight deviations in the air and after the bounce (check the section on bowling skills for more details on what this is called and how to do this). Also, the seam is harder when the ball is newer.
When the ball gets a little older, often after around 10 to 20 overs have been bowled with it, the spin bowlers use it has it moves slower through that air, allowing it to build up more rotations before bouncing off the pitch, and also because the ball know can change in pace while moving in the air. This is known as drift (again, see the section on bowling skills for more information on how to do this).
Now let us look at equipment used by wicketkeepers.
Keeper Pads

These pads are a slightly smaller and more specialised version of the regular batting pads, which we looked at earlier. They are worn by the wicketkeeper so as to protect his legs from contact with the ball. They are smaller and less bulky due to the nature of the wicketkeeper's job, which requires him to shuffle around quickly, as well as dive through the air to take catches and edges.
Helmet
This is usually worn by the keepr when he is standing up close to the stumps, behind the batsman, so as to give himself the chance to take a stumping. Due to the shorter distance between the bowler and the keeper now, the chances of the ball hitting the keeper's face, whether directly or after being edged off the batsman's bat, are high. Thus, a helmet is important. When the keeper stands further back, usually to that fast bowlers, so as to collect edges, he usually wears a cap as it is less bulky and allows for more mobility.
Keeper inner gloves and gloves

Inner gloves, or inners, are worn on the hands before the keeping gloves are worn. Since the keeper usually collects the balls bowled by the bowlers that beat the batsman or are left by him, and also throws from fielders, he needs to wear keeping gloves and inner gloves to protect his hands from injuries. Remember, dear reader, that the wicketkeeper is sometimes also required to bat when his side is batting.
Whether batting, bowling or keeping is your fancy, as a cricketer you should be familiar with all this equipment to be able to play cricket properly. Knowing and possesing these things is essential to progress in learning how to play cricket!