Cricket fans generally enjoy cricket games, right? There have certainly been some fantastic creations in the past, that’s for sure. Not only do these games help pass the time, but they also enable us to play as one of our cricketing heroes and experience what it feels like to be a professional cricketer. Well, just a little bit at least.
Of course we all love to score a goal on FIFA 19, give one of the best table casino games baccarat online a go on casino.com, silence our arrogant friend on Mario Kart or session a bit of Red Dead Redemption, but as cricket fans it’s easier to become immersed in a game that is based on the sport we all love.
With so many cricket games produced over the years, we thought we’d narrow it down to some of the very best and cast our minds back to the good old days.
Allan Border Cricket
Released in 1993, Allan Border’s Cricket probably wouldn’t stand up against some of today’s advanced creations, but it is certainly a classic from its time. Endorsed by Graham Gooch, this video game cricket had an old school pixelated feel about it but it was wholesome, fun and would provide entertainment for hours on end.
Cricket 97
Available to download on PC, Cricket 97 was the perfect follow-up to the previous game in the series, Cricket 96. With its vastly improved graphics, fascinating three-dimensional stadiums and fantastic commentary from legends of the game in Ritchie Benaud and Sir Ian Botham, this game was highly entertaining. One downside is that the game didn’t feature the real names of the cricket stars, which the older version did do. Still, though, that shouldn’t put you off.
Super International Cricket
This is a game that featured some of South Africa’s greatest stars and is, simply, a legend of a game when assessing this genre. Full of big hits and blistering bowling, Super International Cricket was around before T20 was even invented, but it certainly had the feel of it. A pick-up-and-play arcade style game, this really was a blast and will live long in the memories of many cricket fans out there.
Brian Lara International Cricket 2005
Brian Lara is not only a massive legend in cricket, but also a real sporting hero in general, so it comes as no surprise that developers were desperate to make a game in his name. This wasn’t some sort of marketing stunt though. The game was actually fantastic as you played with England, Australia or Lara’s the West Indies at the Oval in a one-day warm-up of six overs. You could smash the boundaries like the man himself and pass hours away with this classic.
Following on from the 2005 version of the game mentioned previously, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 was even better. More focussed on the shorter, one-day format of the sport, this game was also released bearing the name of Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting in some parts of the world. With the same qualities its predecessor had, but whilst also showing dedication to ICC World Cup mode, Brian Lara’s International Cricket 2007 is a game many cricket fans hold close to their hearts.
Cricket Coach 2012
One of the leading cricket simulations ever made, Cricket Coach 2012 and its realistic match engine, alongside the impressively detailed strategy options, is a simply immaculate game from its time and enables any cricket nut out there to get their coaching fix. With a number of players on the database, can you get them performing?