International Cricket Captain: The Ashes 2005

Developer Childish Things' long running International Cricket Captain series is much loved by gaming cricket fans. While games like Brian Lara and EA's Cricket 200(insert year) are really skill games based on the noble sport, ICC actually lets you in to the tactical, chess-like mind games played by the world's great cricket captains. And what better time to do that, than when the nation is gripped in the throes of perhaps one of the most exciting Ashes series for years. Despite a disappointing conclusion to 2005's first test at Lords, for the first time England are able to ask some questions of the Australian team that has dominated

for so long.

Play the greatest of all international cricket series your way. Control every aspect of this deeply complicated sport, from team selection and training, to the tactics you will employ to seize victory. Who will be your stock bowlers, and who your deadly strike men? Will you play an aggressive field with a curtain of slips, and instruct your seamers to vary the swing and cut on their deliveries, looking for that edge? Or will you frustrate batsmen on song by setting an impenetrable off side field and have the ball thump methodically past their off stump? When will you bring in your spin man, and how suffocating will the field you set for that be? Round the wicket or over it? Full, fast length or intimidating bouncers? The choice is yours, as is how your batsmen play - bring in a restrained night watchman to get you through the day, or let your big guns go crazy when the sun hangs high in the sky.

A brand new database with all players is bang up to date, and there are tons of new features. Indeed, you really can control every variable and all minutiae in this most variable of sports. You can play for high stakes in the international scene or pick your side and play through the domestic season. BBC's Jonathan Agnew returns to provide commentary, and you can watch just the highlights, or agonise over the action ball by ball or over by over. The cricketer's cricket sim is back.