Cricket and video games, when done well, go together like James Anderson and a new Dukes ball. For a slower, more methodical sport, cricket lends itself well to sports game fans who enjoy a bit of a grind and a gradual build-up to thrilling matches.
And yet, history has shown us time and time again that making an actually good cricket game often falls as short as a poorly judged run between wickets. Thankfully, some cricket games have hit their mark over the years, ranging from faithful simulations to silly whack-a-thons.
10Big Bash Boom
The Bigger The Bash, The Bigger The Boom
Developer Big Ant Studios positioned Big Bash Boom as cricket’s NBA Jam—an arcade take on the sport that favors the silly over the simulation. The famous over-inflated heads of NBA Jam were even carried over to Big Bash Boom, epitomizing a cricket game that is more about having some fun than being an accurate reflection on the sport.
Just like the Twenty-20 format which the game is based on, Big Bash Boom prioritizes energetic gameplay, big wickets, and even bigger hits. The end result is a cricket game that won’t please the purists but is more than serviceable for knocking some bobble-headed opponents around the park.
9Stick Cricket
An Accessible Cricket Game To Get Stuck Into
Going from oversized heads to overly-thin bodies, Stick Cricket is a line of pick-up-and-play cricket games that you can easily find online andfor smart devices. Each Stick Cricket game follows the same basic template: play as hyper-skinny versions of famous cricket stars and master the basic controls to become the Stick Cricket champion.
There isn’t much complexity to the controls or mechanics, but that’s kind of the whole point. Like a fun pop-up game of backyard cricket in the summer, Stick Cricket still manages to deliver an enjoyable experience without all the complexities. Toy
8Brian Lara Cricket ’96
In the nineties, no cricketer was as entertaining to watch or exuded as much cool factor as Brian Charles Lara from Trinidad and Tobago. It only made sense that companies wanted to get as many of his endorsements as possible, a mindset that certainly extended to the video game industry.
Brian Lara Cricket ‘96 carried over the tight mechanics and strong visuals (for its time) from its ‘94 predecessor while allowing you to play as County sides and including a player editor. Slick, stylish, and elegant, just like the great man himself.
7Wicket Cricket Manager
Build Your Very Own Cricketing Powerhouse
While most cricket games let you play out your dream of dominating the sport with both bat and ball, Wicket Cricket Manager gives you the opportunity to take on the game from a different perspective. In this mobile game, you build up a cricket team from scratch, recruiting players, competing in tournaments, and gradually growing more and more competitive.
It’s a unique take on a cricket game that easily sinks its hooks into you. While you may not get to hit that winning six or take a hat-trick, sometimes it’s just as satisfying to be the mastermind behind the team that does all the magic on the field.
6Ashes Cricket 2009
An Iconic Series Deserved An Iconic Video Game
There are two main versions of Ashes Cricket 2009, and just like an England test side in the nineties, both have their pros and cons. The PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions have better graphics and more features, whereas the Wii game has the benefit of immersive motion-controlled batting and bowling.
Whichever Ashes Cricket 2009 you play, you’ll be treated to a full lineup of English and Australian players from the era and the ability to challenge the sport’s most prized (and smallest) trophy. Even though other cricket games have since surpassed it in terms of polish and realism, there’s still something nostalgic about returning to this gem fifteen years later.
5Super International Cricket
16-Bit Retro Cricketing Goodness
Just like how cricket fans love to reminisce about the “good old days” by watching grainy YouTube videos of past matches, there is something special about returning to the true classics of cricket video games. And they don’t come much more classic than Super International Cricket.
Released for the Super Nintendo in 1994, Super International Cricket lets you play as eight different international teams who each battle it out in pixelated matches played from a top-down perspective. The mechanics and visuals are decidedly old school, but there’s something charming about seeing those old sprites bat and bowl their way through games.
4Don Bradman Cricket 14
A Turning Point For Cricket Video Games
Big Ant Studios poured in the time, effort, and love needed to finally create a true cricket simulator that could stand toe to toe with otherpremier sports simulators. Well… at least in the batting department, which was finely tuned to near perfection.
The bowling, on the other hand, felt a bit clunky, and the lack of licensed teams or players makes this game difficult to return to these days. But Big Ant Studios was just getting warmed up at this point, and Don Bradman 14 set such a great foundation for everything that was to follow.
3Shane Warne Cricket ‘99
The King Of Nineties Cricket Games
Known as Brian Lara Cricket in certain parts of the world, Shane Warne Cricket ’99 was the perfect encapsulation of everything that made cricket great in the nineties, compiled into code, and transformed into a video game. The colors were bold, the personalities were larger than life, and there was so much fun to be found no matter where you looked.
Shane Warne Cricket ’99 is best remembered for a selection of modes that were so well-rounded it would make Gary Sobers’ skillset pale in comparison. A massive selection of teams, a World Cup mode, and live commentary all added up into a game that is still fondly remembered by cricket fans to this day.
2Ashes Cricket
A Phoenix That Rose From These Ashes
Big Ant Studios returned in 2017 with a triumphant cricket simulator that finally had the endorsement and licensing from major international cricket teams. Or, at the very least, the England and Australian teams, which was still a big step up from the Don Bradman cricket games.
It was easy to sink dozens of hours in Ashes Cricket’s revamped career mode or play around building your own stadiums and boutique cricket tournaments. The bowling mechanics were also polished to make this the most comprehensive cricket simulator of its time.
1Cricket 22
Close To Everything You Could Ask For In A Cricket Game
It’s no surprise that forty percent of this list is taken up with Big Ant Studio games, as they have been the developer most committed to perfecting the art of a cricket video game. Cricket 22 currently stands as the closest they have come to achieving this goal, being a culmination of nearly everything you could want in a cricket game.
The range of licensed teams has been expanded to include West Indies, New Zealand, Ireland, and every player from the BBL, CPL, and The Hundred. The career mode has more of a narrative arc, the controls are as fluid as ever, and there is enough content to keep you engaged for months on end.
