Cricket 2007

[Sanchez]

how did you collapse so badly

 

[Eelementary]

I don't know. I guess I started pushing sneaky singles and trying to hit one too many sixes...And after I lost my good batsmen and got to the tail-enders, I got a bit nervous and played some dumb shots...:?

The last wicket that fell, though, was one of those "it doesn't matter how you play this shot - you're a tail-ender and thus you're going to get out" moments...

 

[Sanchez]

its only a game but i still get nervous aswell :lol:

 

[Eelementary]

:lol: So true!

It's awesome, though, because it gets really tense.

A few weeks ago, I was playing as New Zealand against my mate who chose an All Star squad. We played a Twenty/20 match. He batted first and was all out in the final ovoer for 220.

Now, while chasing it down, I lost 5 wickets for like 50 runs. So I decided I'd take it easy. I figured I wasn't going to win anyway. So I decided I was going to not let him bowl me out.

Bottom line - I ended up losing by 2 runs!

 

[Timmah]

I managed to get to 9/40 in and ODI vs New Zealand, with Lee and McGrath the last pair at the crease. McGrath scored a century and Lee a fifty amongst that, and I ended up pumping the score to just short of 190.

 

[Eelementary]

Nice!

Thing with me was I was used to playing on 1*, and I always played him on 3*. Now I have mastered 3* and the next time we play, I will destroy him.

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

I managed to get to 9/40 in and ODI vs New Zealand, with Lee and McGrath the last pair at the crease. McGrath scored a century and Lee a fifty amongst that, and I ended up pumping the score to just short of 190.

How'd you manage a century with McGrath? Even the well timed shots with him usually get edges to the keeper and if you're even a second early it's c & b. Good effort to get a century mate.

My best effort with the tail was with Mitchell Johnson, I had Hodge and Johnson at the crease, just blocking with Johnson and going mad with Hodge, he got to 150 and got clean bowled and I needed about 22 to win with Johnson and McGrath at the crease and Johnson scored the lot with boundaries and was 38 not out at the end. Nothing compared to a century with McGrath though.

 

[Eelementary]

What really works for me with the tail-enders is using the lofted shot as you advance down the crease - even the worst-timed shots tend to go high and gfall safe. And often you get a 4 or 6.

If they bowl it too full, I play lofted shots across the body - ie: with a RHB, lofted leg glances (ie: pull shots), lofted on drives, etc.

That's how I got 66* with Johnson.

 

[willvillain]

When I get down to the tail I limit my strokeplay to basically two shots, both on the on side (along the ground to midwicket if it is on a good length and on the stumps, or whipped away to fine leg if it is pitched up on the stumps).

You're only likely to get singles (possibly a two here and there if you're a brave runner), so it isn't the best tactic for 20/20 or anything and it takes a lot of patience but you can get big scores with your 10s and 11s in Tests or Pura Cup.

I find that with the tail if you play any cover drives or straight drives it just results in a f*cking edge to the keeper. Not worth the risk. It means that your spider at the end of the innings looks piss-boring, but it's worth as many runs as your patience allows!

 

[Eelementary]

That's good advice, mate.

And what also works well for me with tail-enders is to move them - with a RHB, move the batsman so that he's totally covering the wickets with his legs. Seriously - 90% of the leg glances played in that case will go down very fine leg.

 

[Sanchez]

the lofted cover drive works well

 

[Timmah]

I've always hit balls to the leg side, at times I'm getting 36/over.

One over I managed 43 runs. Boundaries are far too easy, particularly in the opening 30 runs of any batsman's account.

 

[Sanchez]

the sweep slog is also good

 

[Eelementary]

And people question the game's realness...

I can never get good scores with Cameron White. Closest I got was 49* off 30 balls. Since then, he keeps getting out cheaply...Where have I seen that before?

 

[The Engineers Room]

So, chasing 296 for the win, we're all out for 285 - this, after my top four batsmen scored 200 runs amongst them!

I don't know what the hell happened to me, but I must admit it's kind of fun - adds spice to the rest of the series.

I had a similar situation playing against Tasmania as NSW (All custom players with most being pretty useless).

Chasing 110 off 20 overs. I was 2/5, then 3/82. But ended up all out for 94. The disappointing thing is that my 9-10 batsmen scored 9 and 5 respectively and were both run out. The problem was the wicket was wet and conditions cloudy so driving the ball sometimes it didn't go far enough and before I realised the bails were off.

 

[strewth_mate]

Here's the token 'I'm looking at getting this game...' questions ;-)

Last EA cricket game I played was Cricket 96 on some special Weetbix deal, if I'm remembering right, and it was a fun slogfest. Not much room for 'tactical' batting, and bowling was very simplistic. Since then the only time I've really ventured into computer cricket is Stickcricket :lol: and not that that's a bad thing, of course...

I take it then that this game is recommended? I usually have a problem with most sports games as you unconsciously find ways to take advantage of the AI or mechanics and be able to score at will by tried and true methods, which takes a bit out of it. Is that an issue with this game?

Also, last year the battle was between 06 and Ricky Ponting, which looked to end up in Ricky's favour (if not here, elsewhere it seemed generally the case). So firstly, has EA improved to make a better game than Ricky's first innings, and secondly, has Ricky potential to top score again in the second?

As long as it's half realistic I'll be happy anyway, given my comprehensive experience with these games. Either that or I'll just pick up Trackmania when the sales are on... Cheers

 

[Sanchez]

the bit about the ai is right

 

[strewth_mate]

Well I suppose it's an unfortunate constant in sports games, no matter how many corkscrews the AI has to gloss over the loops you eventually suss them out.

 

[Eelementary]

* The game is really simple to play on 1* and 2*, but the step up - specially in batting terms - to 3* is very steep. At first, the CPU will get you out easily every time.

* The AI seems to only bowl two lines - full lengths (aka yorkers and full tosses) and deliveries outside off-stump. Rarely they will bowl it down legside.



It's a fun game, though.

 

[The Engineers Room]

If you play on 4* the batting is hard but bowling tricks can see the opposition out for low scores. The best way to fix this is by making custom bowlers that are not that good and bowl the best you can.