Brian Lara Cricket 2008

I've probably watched as many live cricket matches in my life as I have eaten live crickets, but this is less of a hindrance to reviewing Brian Lara Cricket 08 than you might think. Compared to, say, its excellent rival Michael Vaughan's Pro Cricket '08, Brian Lara is the kind of game that you don't need to be a fan of cricket to enjoy.

That's because, like all good sports sims, Brian Lara doesn't get too wrapped up in the dreary rules and regulations, and attempts instead to translate just what attracts millions of people around the globe to cricket each year through simplicity. Actually, one of my personal pet hates when it comes to cricket - i.e., the wasted time that seems to sandwich each piece of action - has been almost completely eliminated by Brian Lara. This is cricket for the impatient.

Impatient and dim. Controlling play - whether batting or bowling - could barely be easier. Like in reality, each game is preceded by a toss of a coin and, assuming you pick the side correctly, a decision about whether you want to bat or bowl. Then, it's on with the play.

Batting is probably the most interactive and enjoyable of the two. It's all about spotting an unmarked part of the pitch and whacking the ball in that direction. Doing so is incredibly easy: as the ball approaches through the air, the position of the ball's bounce is displayed on the grass, enabling you to position yourself for a good hit. Then, depending on the direction you aim to thwack it in, timing is everything, with a good solid hit equating to a fair distance.

It then becomes a question of how much time you've got before the opposition throws the ball back towards the stumps. Runs involve tapping the '5' key (you can change your mind mid-run by hitting it again, sending you players scurrying back to their original positions), with the phone vibrating to let you know when your opponents actually have the ball in their hands.

Bowling offers fewer options, with the most joy seemingly coming from the bowler directly knocking the bails off the wicket or catching opponents out while in mid-run. Both power and the location of the bounce of the ball are variable here, enabling you to make the most of the other team's weaknesses - should you pick up on them, that is.

Either way, both batting and bowling are as instant as they are enjoyable and, while there's really not too much to either facet if play, the fact it's so simple to pick up means there's plenty of scope for repeated attempts in an effort to improve both your skill and ability. Don't expect to be taking down Australia on your first go, for instance.

This isn't the kind of game you'll put down after five minutes either, as almost every aspect - from the number of overs played, to the actual from of cricket itself - can be tailored to the type of game you want to play. If you're after a quick fix, a 6-over exhibition match will be your bag. Likewise, marathon sessions can also be accommodated, with full tournaments featuring up to sixteen teams.

There's also a variable difficultly scale and some training levels that cover all the fundamentals of play, resulting in a game that subtly teaches the art of good cricket as well as opening the door for the fresh and green. It's no small accolade to say that any game that can get me genuinely interested in cricket has to be taken seriously.

Thankfully, like its predecessor, Brian Lara Cricket 2008 is far from serious. Glu's decision to serve up a bitesize chunk of cricket means the game has the potential to reach a considerably larger audience - one more sizable than perhaps even Lara himself might have anticipated.

Brian Lara Cricket 2008

Brian Lara 2008 is like cricket for the masses, breaking down the barriers that have kept many folk from the sport, providing a fair bit of entertainment along the way
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Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.