Here is my semi review of ashes cricket 2009
Match: 50 Overs
Pitch: hard
Weather: clear and sunny
I decided to play a game between a licensed team and a un licensed team. I chose South Africa because I thought they were the best ODI team in the game apparently not.
England won the toss and decided to bat which would mean I was bowling first
The First over began with Steyn bowling to Cook and I managed to get it swing away with cook leaving the first ball. Second ball and I bowled the same out swinging delivery and cook played and missed a whisker from the edge. Third ball and cook played fullish delivery onto the leg side for one run. Fourth ball to Wright and he let it through to Boucher. Fifth ball i bowled it short and wide to see if there was a reaction and boy there was Wright flashed hard and the ball raced away through the covers for four. Sixth ball i bowled a short directly at Wright and he hooked it for a 6. After the first over England where 11/0 which I was pleased with
Cook and Wright continued to play aggressive with some balls reaching the boundary and some just falling short. To be honest I was spraying the ball around I wasn?t really bowling to a tight line and length I wanted to test things and see how the AI would react which I was pretty pleased with.
33/0 after 5 Overs
As I started the 6th over I decided I would bowl to a plan. I placed a fielder on the leg side and my intentions where to bowl short first 4th balls I pitched it short and it was hit away for four. Some deliveries where played and missed and one hit Wright. In the last ball over I decided to bowl a in swinging Yorker and to my delight I bowled Wright. He tried to hit to ball on the offside but completely missed. The ball hit off stump and knocked it down half way. This felt very satisfying as I successfully thought out the AI by bowling to my plan and then with a surprise delivery catching him out. At this stage England where 37/1 after 6 overs
In came Pietersen and first ball he edged Ntini through 1st and 2nd slip for four. This too felt realistic as in previous version the ball if edged would either be caught or dropped but never go for a boundary. I have been thoroughly impressed with the edges and think this is a big plus for the game. Pietersen then made room and tried to smash Ntini through point but he found Gibbs only for me to drop the catch. At this point i felt like ripping my hair out but this was the first time I saw the catching system and I must say this is much better than the 2007 version. England raced away to 77/1 after 11 overs but I still persisted with Ntini and I got my reward with cook hitting a good length delivery straight to point and this time I caught it.
England 77/2 after 12 overs
Pietersen kept smashing me all over I was really made to pay for dropping him earlier on he played all the shots in the book from his famous onside flip and his effective sweep off the spinner. After 20 overs England where 102/2. I was pleased how the AI was playing and pacing its innings. Although Bopara seemed rather slow but I guess he was just letting Pietersen play his natural game.
Then the Suicidal run out happened fortunately it was Bopara who got run out going for the 2nd when it wasn?t there. England where 122/3 after 25 overs with Pietersen 71 Shah was next man. This was my first experience of a run out in the game and I had my fingers crossed it wouldn?t happen again.
The run out didn?t seem to bother Pietersen he still continued to tear the bowling, he hit Botha for 18 runs off one over and after 31 overs he took England to 170/3. With Pietersen on 99*
I continued to bowl with Botha and Im happy I did as he got Pietersen stumped for 99. Pietersen danced down the wicket and missed the ball and Boucher done the rest. Next man was Collingwood. I decided to bring Steyin back and that was another good decision as Collingwood played onto his stumps after his first ball. This was so realistic an inside edge onto the stumps. At this stage England where in a hole with 177/5 after 33 overs. Next man was Dimi Mascheranas
Mascheranas and Shah left off where Pietersen finished and took England to 240/5 after 44 overs. With Shah timing the ball nicely and Mascheranas hitting monster sixes. They both recovered England from a wobbly stage to a great position. I brought Ntini back and banged one short Shah went for it and skied it High with Boucher positioning himself he took a calm catch to leave England 245/5 after 45 Overs. Next man was Freddie.
Freddie looked in good touch by clobbering Morkel and Kallis. I bought back Steyn from My final over and Flintoff started well with hitting two boundaries but then held out to the deep where I took the catch. At the end of the Innings England Finished with 266/7. Which I thought was pretty realistic score.
My Views
Pros
Pacing seems great and AI makes you pay if you drop a catch. As I did earlier with Pietersen who went onto 99.
Speed of the game is realistic with ball racing to the boundary
Bowling plans do work stick to them and don?t bowl bad you will always get punished
Bowling is fun and you really want to bowl
Cons
Run out, although I only had one run out I felt many more could of easily happened I was just lucky that most of the throws weren?t direct hits because if they where there would of been like 3 run outs
Bowling speeds. After I saw Lee bowling at 94, Siddle at 87 and Johnson at 90 I thought the bowling speeds had been fixed but when I bowled with Steyn I got max about 86. It was poor for Ntini I could only manage 79 and 75 with Kallis. Although I?m pretty certain I could get it faster if the timed the meter perfectly
Well this is my Bowling Review so far
As you can see this is a very good cricket game, I wouldn?t call it the best because I still have soo many games and formats to play, but its well on the way to being the best. This is first cricket game Ive enjoyed bowling with.
I?d give 7/10
Match: 50 Overs
Pitch: hard
Weather: clear and sunny
I decided to play a game between a licensed team and a un licensed team. I chose South Africa because I thought they were the best ODI team in the game apparently not.
England won the toss and decided to bat which would mean I was bowling first
The First over began with Steyn bowling to Cook and I managed to get it swing away with cook leaving the first ball. Second ball and I bowled the same out swinging delivery and cook played and missed a whisker from the edge. Third ball and cook played fullish delivery onto the leg side for one run. Fourth ball to Wright and he let it through to Boucher. Fifth ball i bowled it short and wide to see if there was a reaction and boy there was Wright flashed hard and the ball raced away through the covers for four. Sixth ball i bowled a short directly at Wright and he hooked it for a 6. After the first over England where 11/0 which I was pleased with
Cook and Wright continued to play aggressive with some balls reaching the boundary and some just falling short. To be honest I was spraying the ball around I wasn?t really bowling to a tight line and length I wanted to test things and see how the AI would react which I was pretty pleased with.
33/0 after 5 Overs
As I started the 6th over I decided I would bowl to a plan. I placed a fielder on the leg side and my intentions where to bowl short first 4th balls I pitched it short and it was hit away for four. Some deliveries where played and missed and one hit Wright. In the last ball over I decided to bowl a in swinging Yorker and to my delight I bowled Wright. He tried to hit to ball on the offside but completely missed. The ball hit off stump and knocked it down half way. This felt very satisfying as I successfully thought out the AI by bowling to my plan and then with a surprise delivery catching him out. At this stage England where 37/1 after 6 overs
In came Pietersen and first ball he edged Ntini through 1st and 2nd slip for four. This too felt realistic as in previous version the ball if edged would either be caught or dropped but never go for a boundary. I have been thoroughly impressed with the edges and think this is a big plus for the game. Pietersen then made room and tried to smash Ntini through point but he found Gibbs only for me to drop the catch. At this point i felt like ripping my hair out but this was the first time I saw the catching system and I must say this is much better than the 2007 version. England raced away to 77/1 after 11 overs but I still persisted with Ntini and I got my reward with cook hitting a good length delivery straight to point and this time I caught it.
England 77/2 after 12 overs
Pietersen kept smashing me all over I was really made to pay for dropping him earlier on he played all the shots in the book from his famous onside flip and his effective sweep off the spinner. After 20 overs England where 102/2. I was pleased how the AI was playing and pacing its innings. Although Bopara seemed rather slow but I guess he was just letting Pietersen play his natural game.
Then the Suicidal run out happened fortunately it was Bopara who got run out going for the 2nd when it wasn?t there. England where 122/3 after 25 overs with Pietersen 71 Shah was next man. This was my first experience of a run out in the game and I had my fingers crossed it wouldn?t happen again.
The run out didn?t seem to bother Pietersen he still continued to tear the bowling, he hit Botha for 18 runs off one over and after 31 overs he took England to 170/3. With Pietersen on 99*
I continued to bowl with Botha and Im happy I did as he got Pietersen stumped for 99. Pietersen danced down the wicket and missed the ball and Boucher done the rest. Next man was Collingwood. I decided to bring Steyin back and that was another good decision as Collingwood played onto his stumps after his first ball. This was so realistic an inside edge onto the stumps. At this stage England where in a hole with 177/5 after 33 overs. Next man was Dimi Mascheranas
Mascheranas and Shah left off where Pietersen finished and took England to 240/5 after 44 overs. With Shah timing the ball nicely and Mascheranas hitting monster sixes. They both recovered England from a wobbly stage to a great position. I brought Ntini back and banged one short Shah went for it and skied it High with Boucher positioning himself he took a calm catch to leave England 245/5 after 45 Overs. Next man was Freddie.
Freddie looked in good touch by clobbering Morkel and Kallis. I bought back Steyn from My final over and Flintoff started well with hitting two boundaries but then held out to the deep where I took the catch. At the end of the Innings England Finished with 266/7. Which I thought was pretty realistic score.
My Views
Pros
Pacing seems great and AI makes you pay if you drop a catch. As I did earlier with Pietersen who went onto 99.
Speed of the game is realistic with ball racing to the boundary
Bowling plans do work stick to them and don?t bowl bad you will always get punished
Bowling is fun and you really want to bowl
Cons
Run out, although I only had one run out I felt many more could of easily happened I was just lucky that most of the throws weren?t direct hits because if they where there would of been like 3 run outs
Bowling speeds. After I saw Lee bowling at 94, Siddle at 87 and Johnson at 90 I thought the bowling speeds had been fixed but when I bowled with Steyn I got max about 86. It was poor for Ntini I could only manage 79 and 75 with Kallis. Although I?m pretty certain I could get it faster if the timed the meter perfectly
Well this is my Bowling Review so far
As you can see this is a very good cricket game, I wouldn?t call it the best because I still have soo many games and formats to play, but its well on the way to being the best. This is first cricket game Ive enjoyed bowling with.
I?d give 7/10
