Has England's triumph in the second Ashes test sparked your enthusiasm for the sport? If so, here are a few games to test your own skills on.
If you're revelling in England's Ashes domination, you may already have searched the shelves of your local Game store for the latest cricket simulation ? and probably come away empty-handed. EA Sports, the leader in the sports sim genre, hasn't produced a console cricket title for several years, choosing, instead, to concentrate on its successful Fifa and Madden brands. The company may well reconsider, though, especially as its decision to back the emerging sport of mixed-martial arts with the much-hyped EA MMA, has not gone quite as well as hoped ? the game sold just 45,000 copies in its first month on US shelves.
But there are some decent Cricket games still around. I've gone for titles that you can play on current platforms, so that means no Brian Lara Cricket (there's a PlayStation iteration, Brian Lara Cricket 99, that should play on your PS3, but the original Megadrive version was the best) and no Super International Cricket, a great little arcade-style title for the old Super Nintendo console.
If you have any of your own suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments section.
Update: I was unable to find any good Android or Windows Phone 7 cricket sims (I'm not a big fan of IndiaGames' Cricket T20 World Championship, which is the only one I've found on Android). If you know of any, please mention them in the comments section below.
You are the Umpire
(Four Door Lemon, iPhone, �1.19)
UK studio Four Door Lemon has already turned Paul Trevillion's newspaper comic strip, You Are the Ref, into an iPhone app, and now here's the team's take on the spin-off cricket version. In You Are The Umpire, you're faced with a series of challenging decisions based on the cricket rule book; it's your job to select the right course of action in each scenario. It's a simple and stylish conversion, which makes perfect use of the original illustrations, and even allows players to create their own comic strips using the images supplied. With hundreds of multiple choice questions included, it's a relaxing way to kill time on long commutes, or between innings. There's an iPad version coming soon.
Big Cup Cricket
(Eidos, iPhone, �1.79)
A brand new cricket sim from Eidos, which is quickly pulling in ecstatic user reviews. Players select from 20 international sides and an array of game modes then use the touchscreen to bowl or bat, with the timing, speed and direction of your swipe governing the ball direction and velocity. It takes a while to get the hang of the controls, but once you do, it's actually a really involving little sim. The cute visuals and crisp sound effects add charm, plus there's Game Centre support for online leaderboards. A Wi-Fi two-player mode would have been a nice bonus, but as it is, this is possibly the best cricket sim on the App Store.
Touch Cricket
(On-Sea, iPhone/ipad, 59p)
Not everyone appreciates this rather tricky batting sim, but I like it's physical control mechanic. Your aim as batsman is simply to achieve the highest score possible. There's a side on view of your player and you need to use your left thumb to alter his position and the right to swing your bat. Timing is crucial, as is getting in the right position to fend off tricky spin bowls. It's quietly satisfying when you get it right, and at just 59p (there's also a free Lite version), wannabe England batsmen won't be complaining about the limited structure.
International Cricket 2010
(Codemasters, Xbox 360, PS3, from �10)
This was the last big console cricket sim, and although it only drew average reviews from the specialist press at the time, many fans rate it as a decent enough slogger, and I'd concur ? especially as its easily available for much less than the original �39.99 price tag. It's officially licensed so you get 16 full international sides as well as 21 authentically modelled stadia. The analogue control system is well implemented allowing for a decent accuracy and a range of shots, and bowling, too, is well implemented and enjoyable. The visuals are certainly lacking, though ? a shame as cricket isn't exactly the most processor intensive sport to simulate.
Stick Cricket
(Stick Sports, PC/Mac, free)
The original Stick Cricket, a simple but thoroughly addictive Flash-based browser game, was released in 2004 and became such a cult success it has encouraged creator Stick Sports to produce a whole range of sports sims on its site. The latest versions of the cricket game remain true to their ancestor: you simply have to get as many runs as you can, using the cursor keys, and careful timing, to hit an array of shots. The games are free to play, but you'll need to register.
Reader recommendations
Freddie Flintoff All-Round cricket
(Player one, Java handsets, �4.50)
I'd forgotten about this excellent street cricket game from Player One, originally released for Java phones about three years ago. It's still on the publisher's site and supports a whole bunch of familiar handsets. According to Pocket Gamer, the batting and bowling mechanics are easy to grasp and this is the only cricket sim of the bunch that'll reward batsmen for hitting objects like cars and buildings.
International Cricket Captain
(Childish Things, PC, �15.99)
Several readers have suggested this long-running cricket management sims ? and I was also berated by the Ben Wilson, the editor of Official PlayStation Magazine, for not including it. So here it is. It's essentially a cricket version of Football Manager, allowing you to take control of any English County, International or Australian Domestic side before guiding them through the season, choosing batting rotas and fielding set-ups, and recruiting new players. Another reader, charliepiper, also suggested the free online cricket management sim, Battrick.
Little Master Cricket
(Foddy.net, PC/Mac, free)
This ragdoll physics batting sim was suggested by DmIsTheSaddestKey. Like Touch Cricket, you simply control the batter as a he fends off a series of balls, accept here you have more intuitive control over his movements useing the mouse. Very simple, but very compelling. And yes, there is an iPhone version. But not a Google Android one...
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/dec/07/best-cricket-games
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