Warrnambool and District Cricket Association chairperson McLeod and Grassmere Cricket Association president Dews said their competitions rules both "strongly recommended" the use of helmets for batting and fielding within five metres of a batsman.

Helmets and their benefits have been a hot topic in the years following the tragic death of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes in 2014.

His incident led to a hearing before NSW coroner Michael Barnes in 2016 prompting Cricket Australia to act swiftly to improve guidelines for dealing with head knocks - including working with manufacturers to introduce a StemGuard for helmets.

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The issue resurfaced in the wake of Australian star Steve Smith's blow from a Jofra Archer short ball at the second Ashes test at Lord's.

Smith continued to bat after the hit but was sidelined for the rest of the Test after delayed concussion set in, later ruling him out of the third Test at Headingley.

The latest high hit prompted Cricket Australia to urge all junior and senior cricket clubs to make helmets compulsory, starting this summer.

McLeod and Dews both confirmed their associations had heeded the CA message but said they could not force players to wear helmets only "strongly recommend" them.

"Cricket Australia have recommended helmets are worn but they can't compel associations to do it," McLeod said.

"The WDCA has considered it seriously and it is in our rules that using helmets is strongly recommended for safety reasons. Batsmen and fielders standing near the stumps or pitch should wear helmets.

"In junior cricket we made it compulsory some years ago. All players under 19 years of age must wear a helmet."

Recently the International Cricket Council ruled all helmets must now be compliant with British Standard 7928:2013.

Top-quality helmets not up to the ICC's standard can cost more than $150 while the Masuri Vision StemGuard - the neck protection invented following Hughes' death - is listed by sports stores at $79.

This summer is the first time the GCA will strongly recommend its players use helmets. But Dews said the cost of the standard of helmets the ICC recommended was a reason behind the association's lenient rule.

"The main reason for completely not going compulsory is the cost factor involved with buying new helmets because the ones that are recommended are up to $300-400," he said.

"It is something we will phase in at this stage, taking into consideration the cost factor. I know with our association there is players that have the correct standard of helmet.

"But for everyone to buy a new helmet it leaves a big hole in their pocket and also older players would sooner retire than wear helmets."

McLeod said the natural progression of juniors into the senior ranks would see the helmet become common place and make it easier for associations to implement the mandatory ruling.

"I have umpired games where if they wore helmets players wouldn't get injured from random accidents (like top edges),"he said.

"Players should consider the dangers involved. I think down the track it will come in as a compulsory matter."

Dews, who echoed McLeod's thoughts on random batting accidents, said player mindsets had already started to shift towards safety first.

"There are a players who had never worn them now starting to take up wearing them," he said.

"It's important to put across the message of wearing helmets as that it is an important aspect of cricket safety."

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