These are some hints and tips that I have for EA Cricket 97 Ashes Tour Edition.
* Download the real teams
Click here to download the currently available ones.
* Play on normal difficulty
On easy you don't get to chose your shots. You can play on hard as well if you want.
* Put weather on random
This is so you get different conditions each game, unless you want to set the conditions
yourself.
* Don't run out the computer
This makes the game more of a challenge - it's too easy to run them out.
* Play easy shots at the beggining of the batsman's innings
The late cut (ctrl+7) is great for this (well lately I've been getting out alot using the late cut, the cover drive is better (ctrl+1)). These are so you get your eye in.
* Play elaborate shots once you've been in a while
My favourite is pulling the ball (alt+6) when they are short balls. This shot seems to
bring a few 6's when done right.
* Turn num-lock OFF
This enables you to play all eighteen shots when using the numerical keypad (you should
use the numerical keypad).
* Save and restore between innings in a 2 player game
If you ever play with 2 people on the same computer you will know that the person using the
joystick or mouse has the disadvantage. If the person batting first is player one and uses the keyboard, then
at the end of the innings (actually, the beginning of the next innings) you should save the
game, quit, restore the game, then choose for player one to use the joystick or mouse and player
two to use the keyboard. Now both players get to use the keyboard while batting.
* Bowling tricks
When the computer has been going well for some time, bowl an
outswinger (place the marker about two virtual feet away) and have a
silly mid on & silly mid off in. Apart from getting the batsman out a
lot of the time, it saves a heck of a lot of runs.
Thanks to Kevin C for this hint (I can certainly use it!!!).
* Use top-down view
Press F4 to get this view. This makes it much easier to see where the ball is going to be
bowled and easier to see when you should play at it.
* Play a 2 person 1 player game
This is a fun variation to the game. If there are two people wanting to play cricket, instead
of playing against each other, play with each other. Choose a one player game and each of you is one
of the opening batsman and you only play as your batsman. When your player gets out, you are the
next person in. Playing with 3 people is even better because if you get out you have to wait
until someone else gets in, giving more incentive to not get out. Although it gets annoying
when your partner purposely tries to get a single off the last ball of every over :)
* Make it more challenging...
Download the Cricket Editor from the Files for Download Page and edit
the stat.97 file. Reduce focus (stamina) by 2 for each of the batsman that you play with. This
will help reduce those big run rates.
* Restricting the computer...
"When a player is playing on normal difficulty �& when he is bowling he should move
the marker halfway down the pitch . This gives a bouncer and
the batsman cannot play it. This is very useful in a fast and
one-day match . Once I did this in a ten over one day match and
the opposition team was 0/0 in 10 overs and I won the match."
That was an email I recieved from Ankur Nagpal. Use this
hint if you want to remove all aspects of challenge from the game :)
* LBW Hint! - from [email protected]
I discovered that if you bowl a leg-cutter on the feet of a right-handed
batsman (it doesn't work for left handers), you have a very good chance
of trapping them LBW (50% chance).
Help for new players:
I've had a few people sending me email saying that they
were new to the game and find it very hard to score runs. Here is an email that I sent to the
last person who emailed me:
First of all, only play on normal. This is the only way you will get better.
Also, use the top down view (press F4)
The best way I feel is to practise the shot before the bowler bowls it.
So when the bowler is standing there and you can see where the white dot is
walk up to it and practice your shot. If the bat goes over where the ball
should go, you will probably hit it.
For a while, try doing an off drive (ctrl+1 with a right hander, left hander
ctrl+3) using the technique above. So you would walk upto the dot standing
on it and then go back a bit (back for the batsman that is, so press 6) and
just practise the shot. If the bat goes over where the ball should go, then
you will probably hit it. Just practise.
Once you've mastered that, try more elaberate shots. Don't worry about
sweeping it until you've mastered all the other shots because that is the
hardest shot.
Oh yeah, one more thing.
You should turn off num-lock and use the number keys instead of the other
cursor keys so you can do all eighteen shots easier.
I hope this helps someone out there....
To add your own hints and tips, email me!