For cricket lovers, there's nothing like a Test match. And on the international stage, there's nothing quite like the Ashes. Making a cricket game is one thing; creating one that captures the unique emotions of this rivalry is quite another.
Boot up the game and the first thing to do is choose your nationality - out of 12 cricketing nations - which themes game menus accordingly. The game offers up all major forms of cricket - test, one day and 20 overs along with the Ashes.
An extensive training mode, Legends Coaching, is the essential first port of call. Split fairly obviously between batting, bowling and fielding, at basic and advanced levels, Warney and Ian 'Beefy' Botham lend their voices and expertise here not only to talk through the controls but also offer an explanation of different batting and bowling styles, how they work, and when they should be employed.
After playing a couple of innings of an Ashes test, batting and bowling depth is certainly intimated, and will take time to master. It does require you to think "cricket" rather than "videogame": bowling demands patience and application; batsmen, particularly high up the order, need wearing down.
In the commentary box, Beefy and Warney are joined by the experienced and loquacious likes of Aggers and Tony Grieg. In the tutorials, with scripted delivery, there's some decent, insightful chatter on offer. And Hawk-Eye is a nice addition for anoraks, popping up at the end of each over with bright diagrams of your bowling/batting genius/shame.
Howzatt