New Brian Lara Cricket Fully Playable Online

Thank god(s), a cricket reference that means we don't have to talk about Australia's Ashes performance! Brian Lara Cricket series is one of SPOnG’s favourites. It’s a quality game, and appeals to both the cricket buffs in the SPOnG office as well as those of us who have never been particularly bothered about the real feel of leather on willow on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon.

So, the fact that the Codies have just told us that the latest version in the series, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 will pioneer online multiplayer play (on the PC and 360 versions) can only be A Good Thing all around.

From the Codemasters’ press release just in, “On Xbox 360, Xbox Live gameplay will deliver multiplayer tournaments, including the ICC World Cup 2007 and ICC Champions Trophy 2006, leagues, exhibition and warm up matches. Xbox Live leader boards and specific achievements, such as scoring a century, or winning a match at every ground in the game, will enable players to gain gaming points. Less scrupulous players will also be able to “sledge” their opponents over Xbox Live voice chat, adding a touch of psychology to proceedings and immersing the player deeper still into the match experience. Or you could just chat politely about the weather….up to 16-player simultaneous multiplayer tournaments will be possible, including the ICC-licensed events. Should you wish to just sit back and take in a game, there’s even a feature that enables up to eight spectators to watch an intense game of cricket develop before them.”

Ha! Surely the height of summer cricket laziness – not even being bothered to get involved in playing a videogame representation of the sport, but choosing instead to merely spectate!

What, some of us also wonder, is sledging? A quick search through the cricket archives informs us that many examples of sledging are fondly remembered for their humour (and bad language), either through a witty challenge, or a quick retort. The following hilarious examples have entered cricketing folklore:

• A major incident involves Aussie paceman and moustache-legend, Merv Hughes, and and South African Robin Smith batsman (well, he played for England). During a 1989 Lord's test Hughes said to Smith after the latter had played and missed, "You can't f**king bat." Smith's reply after he hit Hughes for a boundary the next ball, "Hey Merv, we make a fine pair. I can't f**king bat and you can't f**king bowl."
• Merv Hughes and the mighty and majestic West Indian bat-god, Sir Viv Richards. During a test match in the West Indies, Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. Sir Richards-of-Bat said "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv bowled him out soon after and replied "In my culture we just say f**k off."
• Shane Warne (Australia) to Daryll Cullinan (South Africa): "I've been waiting two years to humiliate you again." Cullinan: "Looks like you spent the time eating."

Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 comes complete with player names and likenesses of all the stars of international cricket, as revealed in the new screenshots you can see right under these words.

The game also features in-game commentary from established cricket experts Jonathan Agnew, David Gower, Ian Bishop, Bill Lawry and Tony Greig, plus real player stats from Wisden.

It’s out in March, which is, coincidentally the time of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. See SPOnG’s dedicated Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 page for more info and all the screens to date.