Cricket 19

Cricket 19 is by far the best cricket game available right now. There’s enough about it to keep cricket newbies entertained while its high level of authenticity will no doubt delight die-hard cricket fans. Even England’s Barmy Army, however, would get quickly tired of the loading times, and may notice the small imperfections to the matchday experiences. Despite this, Cricket 19 is a solid boundary, with the career mode hitting nothing but sixes.

Cricket 19’s presentation and gameplay may feature more distracting niggles than an Australian slip cordon, but in spite of such grievances it’s still the closest to the real thing that a cricket game has ever been. Scenario mode is a welcome inclusion in terms of the almost limitless replayability it provides, and substantial improvements to the AI make games against the computer feel palpably exciting. With a bit more post-release polish Cricket 19 could really shine. Here’s hoping the developers use spit and not sandpaper.

Earlier this year, the UK finally saw some success in... Well, anything. An ongoing tumultuous time on the political front was been slightly lifted by what started as a strong World Cup in Football last year, though Southgate sadly wasn't the one to bring it home. However, we saw success in the 2019 Cricket World Cup thanks to a nerve-wracking super over where Jofra Archer became a national hero. It's a shame we got completely wiped out in The Ashes. Now, you can rectify that in Cricket 19.

Cricket 19 delivers us another solid improvement in the world of cricket games, and while it still doesn’t quite match up to the big budget sports games, it certainly gives the genre a good run for its money.

Cricket 19 is rough around the edges, but it makes some notable improvements in key areas. Fans of the sport will find plenty of enjoyment here.

Cricket 19 is a comprehensive and detailed simulation of the sport with a bewildering number of modes and options. Its depths and complexities can be daunting for newcomers, and playing against the AI feels a bit arbitrary at times, but from playing Ashes Test series to one off challenges, there is something here for every level of cricket fan.