I’ve only played it a small bit but the batting and bowling both seem very good. Fielding in the outfield is very difficult but probably just requires getting used to.
When batting you have 5 types of shot open to you:
Normal ground stroke
Lofted shot
Defensive shot
Sweep
Lofted sweep
The timing of the shot is important, as is picking gaps in the field. There is a confidence meter for the batsman which goes up as he plays more shots and when it’s at the top you can come down the wicket to attack spin bowling which is more aggressive but can get you stumped obviously. Confidence goes down when you play and miss or if you’re hit by a bouncer etc.
Bowling has 4 options:
stock delivery
break right
break left
speed change (slower ball for a fast bowler, top spin for a spinner)
On top of that you use the shoulder buttons to swing the ball left or right in the air. When bowling confidence is high (when you’re getting wickets and/or not getting hammered around the ground) you can use 2 special deliveries. For the pacemen these are yorkers and bouncers. For bowlers they are doosras, flippers, quicker ones and googlys - depending on the bowler in question.
Haven’t done much fielding yet so I haven’t really adjusted my field - not sure about the settings. The catching is a timing meter that comes up on the screen and you need to stop the bar in the middle to hold onto the catch. It’s very quick so it’s hard but I presume you get used to the timing.
There’s a world cup, champions trophy and then One Dayers and test matches I think. I practised a small bit in nets and then I went into a world cup so haven’t seen too much of the rest of the game.
Scorecard so far:
Bray 0 (2) c&b Utseya
Porterfield 6 (6) run out (Duffin)
Morgan 2 (5) run out (Rainsford)
Niall O’Brien 0 (2) b Utseya
Kevin O’Brien 7* (9)
Andre Botha 7 (12) c&b Utseya
McCallan 7 (4) b Utseya
Johnston 0* (1`)
Estras 2
Overs 6.4
Total 31-6
As you can see Utseya is causing all the damage for them.
Not sure - I’ve never really liked cricket games on the pc before (except Allan Border cricket on the work laptops) but this one seems cracking on the 360. Not sure if it’s the game, the consoloe or a bit of both. I’d have concerns over the full range of diagonals that you’d get from a keyboard in shot selection - and it might need a high enough spec pc to run but the first can be cured by getting a controller, the latter I’m not sure about but you could download the demo from http://www.codemasters.co.uk/downloads/?downloadid=27496 - bear in mind though that I played the demo of it on the 360 before I played it and I wasn’t bowled over by it so there’s a great deal of improvement in the game itself. The demo will give you a good idea of whether the game will run slickly on your machine but don’t judge the demo for gameplay too much.
Advantages for me in buying in for the 360 were that if piedpiper gets a copy too then I can play against him over the internet.
Johnston was clean bowled by Utseya for a duck and then Mooney made 1 from 2 balls before Rainsford had him caught and bowled. Lanford Smith hung around for a while with Kevin O’Brien but made 6 befor ehe was run out. Now White has come in and defended with 5 from 20 balls. At the other end K O’Brien is on 34 from 38 - very impressive for a total of 75-9 from 16.4 overs so far but O’Brien is scoring freely the last couple of overs.
Game on - Zimbabwe are 28-4 first two wickets were from Trent who also had the opening batsman dropped in the slips second ball. Then Kevin O’Brien ran out the new batsman after bowling to him. Then a golden duck caught and bold from O’Brien. 7.4 overs gone. Zimbabwe will be worried by this.
yeah its well worth it. far better than playing the computer on proev anyway. i’d say if you got the lara game you might struggle with my medium seamers though.
This is a quality game. Started a new competition on a tougher level.
First game against Zimbabwe and Trent had an absolutely stunning first over: 5 runs, 2 wickets. Kevin O’Brien then came into the attack and got hit for 8. Economy is disappointing but Trent is on fire and both openers are gone.
Bowden is umpiring and he’s missed an lbw from O’Brien to Matsikenny. Bowling around the wicket, pitched just in line with leg and then Hawkeye says it would have gone on to take the top of middle stump. I admit I thought it pitched outside leg on first viewing but it didn’t. Johnston continues his terror at the other end. Picked up another wicket and they’re 30-3 after 6 overs.
Knew there was something I forgot to do today. Initially I thought it was find a job but really it was to download the demo for this. If you’re good at it I can only imagine how impressive I’ll be given the hidings I used to give you in work on Allan Border Cricket.
I’ve abandoned all that now because I figured there was no point learning the game on a medium level. I’ve cranked it all the way up to Test and I’ve gone with the Aussies. I practised in the nets with Ireland facing good bowlers on the higher levels and I didn’t hit one ball.
Hoping for an easier start with the Aussies against the Scots. Won the toss and I’m batting.
C’mon the Aussies. I’m going to get to the Super 8s and hit Joyce with bouncer after bouncer the little prick.
2 overs gone and Hayden gone to a Hoffman delivery on the last ball of the second over. Should have left it but played at it and just helped it on to the wicketkeeper. Tony Greig has told us it’s an ideal wicket for batting so I’m expecting big things. 9-1. Ponting in.
I had a cracking match against the Scots last night and it’s not finished yet. I started it again for the final time because I forgot to pause the game when I went downstairs so lost a few wickets. Came back, re-started the tournament and lost the toss. Bowled to Scotland and they got 24 without loss from 3 overs. Then Lee got a couple of wickets in the next over. McGrath and Lee then bowled well with a couple of maidens and Lee got a couple more wickets. Then brought a left-hander into the attack, can’t remember his name. He got 3 wickets and Symonds took 1 and Hogg(?) got 2 to have them all out for 85 odd from 22 overs.
Started badly with the openers gone for 12 and then Punter went at about 18-3 I think. Saved the game and I’ll come back to it this evening as a model of conservativism.
The installation was abandanoned as I’m only a guest on the laptop I’m using here. It said I need administrator privileges so I’ll have to wait til I hit Wexico tomorrow.
Spinner is Hogg alright. Left armer’s probably Bracken. Good luck - make sure you consolidate as you’ve plenty of overs to chip away at the runs. Pitch must be a bowler’s paradise though.
so there’s a great deal of improvement in the game itself. The demo will give you a good idea of whether the game will run slickly on your machine but don’t judge the demo for gameplay too much.