Cricket 07

Jason Hill knows that you can't win a game with just good batting.

Cricket 07
PC Xbox PS2 X360 Wii GC NDS PSP
$59.95 $79.95
Rating: 2.5/5

EA Sports obviously learnt its lesson from its languid 2005 cricket simulation (and the thrashing it received from competitor Ricky Ponting International Cricket).

This sequel accommodates the simple desire of most players to repeatedly whack the ball over the fence.

The biggest change is that now instead of pressing buttons to play shots, you swing the joypad's right analog stick to replicate wielding the willow. It's an intuitive and satisfying system, letting players feel as if they are performing shots such as cover drives, cuts, hooks, glides, sweeps and slogs.

Players can even choose to dance down the wicket or play a front or back foot stroke. There's also the return of the "Six Hit" button, instructing your batsman to go for broke and try to clear the rope.

On higher difficulty levels, players must slowly build their batsman's confidence before attempting the big hits, and must also perfectly time any risky shot or they will almost always be caught or bowled.

Wisely, there are no such restrictions on easier settings, letting players belt ball after ball to the boundary in contests that make even most Twenty20 matches look lacklustre.

Unfortunately, EA must have spent most of its energy on ensuring the batting system caters to everyone because bowling remains desperately dull. It's pleasing that you can hurl down special deliveries including slower balls, bouncers, yorkers and flippers at opportune times but the varied balls are certainly not enough to enliven the slow pace.

Icon would have loved to see EA experiment with an analog stick system to replicate the bowling action and also an option to simulate an entire innings if you'd rather just bat.

The presentation and range of play modes, squads and stadiums are all pleasing but it is difficult to imagine even cricket tragics wanting to play an entire Ashes series or World Cup when half of the game is so dreary.

Endgame: Batting is tremendous fun and caters for all tastes but bowling lets the side down.