Stick Cricket

Stick Cricket is a Macromedia flash cricket game website. The game, was developed by Cann Creative, a company from Sydney, Australia. It runs from any web browser which has the Macromedia flash player plug-in and Internet access.

Stick Cricket is a popular game, being one of the most visited cricket websites with over 35,000 visits a day. The average size of the game is around 500 kilobytes.

History

The current version of Stick Cricket is version 3.3 [1].

Current versions of Stick Cricket have human batsmen. However, the batsmen were really sticks before the Stick Cricket game was moved from the servers of Cann Creative to its own website. Other websites have a modified (usually outdated) version of Stick Cricket, though some are now offline, for those feeling nostalgic.

Version 1

This version, which built the foundation for version 2 and was the first appearance of Stick Cricket ever, is extremely hard to find on the internet.

Version 2

Version 2 appeared in 2 guises. There was the official version, which was on Mousebreaker, featuring 7 levels which you could play through as the England team. Another version, featuring a fictional Australian team, was also playable online. This was the basis of the stick cricket world.

Version 3

Version 3 moved Stick Cricket to its current home, where it has its own site. It also featured the ability to play with 12 teams, though the USA were replaced with a fictional team. There have been minor updates since then, such as the inclusion of 3 different modes: the Knockout Tournament, based on the ICC Champions Trophy format; the all-star slog where you try to get as many runs as you can in 10 Overs; and the Practice Mode, where you could practice 10 overs against a certain type of bowling.

Version 3.1

Version 3.1 added the world domination version, where you play the world's 8 best teams, and receive a password for each of the teams a player beats. You play as a Stick All-Star Team, which contains some of the best players in cricket's history. Also updated were the teams, so they had the most recent players in, and the rankings in accordance with the official ICC One-Day International ratings.

Version 3.2

The current version of the game, 3.2 was released on 21st July, and added new graphics in the main, and a new Head2Head Ashes game for the duration of the Ashes, which features a different stadium - Lord's, a different ball (red with seam) and different bowling actions to version 3.1. In general Version 3.2 added new graphics, including new balls where you can see the seam, and a new stadium. It also added new features around the site, such as Office Leagues, where there are some general leagues, and you can set up your own as well.

Version 3.3

By popular demand, two players can now play on the one keyboard, and Tournament mode has been added.

Objective

Stick Cricket is viewed from the facing batsman's end. Although it is always viewed from this angle it is possible to bowl, but this feature is currently only included in the 2 player version of the game.

The basic objective is to scores as many runs as possible, by the following:

• Tournament - Score runs to beat the a national teams total to progress to the next time and beat the World Champions, within 10 overs (60 deliveries). The tournament mode is currently based on the ICC Champions Trophy.
• Slog - Score as many runs as possible within 10 overs against a selected team (an XI)or an World Domination made by one of the players.
• World Domination - Score runs to beat a national teams total within 20 overs to gain passwords and, eventually go in to the draw to make your own team up if won.
• Practice - Choose from a type of bowler and practice, as the name suggests. Scores cannot be saved in practice mode.

Starting

When Stick Cricket loads, a welcome screenshot comes up. It allows a user to select a national cricket team or a specialized team selected by the winner of the entire World Domination mode. You can also choose what type of game you want to play.

Shots

Up, W - Forward drive and defend: Not effective against leg spiners and off spinners.
Down, S - Duck: (especially from bouncers). Risk of being out LBW, if the delivery is not a bouncer.
Left, A - Pull and hook, if full an on-drive, but often gets caught: Particularly effective against all bowlers.
Right, D - Cut & Cover Drive: Effective against fast, outswing bowlers but you can be risked of getting caught out at cover.

Bowlers

There are different types of bowlers:

• Fast - Shaun Pollock and so forth
• Inswing bowlers - Brett Lee, Makhaya Ntini and so forth
• Outswing bowlers - Shoaib Akhtar, Chaminda Vaas and so forth
• Medium pace - Scott Styris and so forth
• Slow Orthordox/Off spin - Muttiah Muralitharan and so forth
• Leg spin - Shane Warne, Abdul Qadir, Anil Kumble and so forth

Each has their own weaknesses and strengths, however, many people have found fast bowling to be the easiest to face while spin considered to be the hardest, especially the leg spinners. This is because of impatient and inexperienced players trying to make a shot too early, forcing the batsman to mistime a shot, often resulting in the fall of a wicket.

Easter Eggs

There are certain hidden features in the game, namely "Easter Eggs"

• 1987 teams - Play against the 1987 team, this can be activated by clicking on the duck that appears on screen when you are out for a duck. If you choose to play the Stick Cricket Tournament in 1987 mode, the USA team is comprised of characters from the Police Academy movies!
• Domestic teams - Play against some of the best domestic teams in the world, such as New South Wales, Mumbai and so forth. This can be activated by clicking on the commentator's nose (Richie Benaud).
• SPIN - To play against bowlers that can bowl both kinds of spin in the same over for 10 overs similar to the All-Star Slog, type "spin" in the World Domination box.
• SWING - To play against bowlers that can bowl both kinds of swing in the same over for 10 overs similar to the All-Star Slog, type "swing" in the World Domination box.
• RANDOM - To play against bowlers that can bowl all kinds of deliveries in the same over for 10 overs similar to the All-Star Slog, type "random" in the World Domination box.
• BOUNCERS - To play 10 overs with every ball being bowled a bouncer type 'bouncers' into the world domination password box

Also, to play as any country in world domination, you simply do as follows:

• Click on practice mode
• Click on to the team you want
• Click on "How To Play" and then back
• Click play

Head2Head Standings

These are the Head2Head standings seen here as of 9 January 2006.

Mobile Phones

Stick Cricket has teamed up with Ian Botham, a cricketing legend to indroduce Ian Botham's Stick Mobile on mobile phones. Go to The Stickcricket website for more details.

Over By Over Commentary (OBO)

Now, in most games you can sit and watch the game on Stick Cricket, while reading some funny over by over commentary by some Cricket-o-Holics out there. Email the OBO and you might get the chance to have your word in the commentary! (SCM)

Stick Cricket Facts

• 2½ million - visitors to the site every month.
• ½ million - registered Stick Cricketers .
• 513 - players who have won the World Domination.
• Friday - is the most popular day to play.
• The MCG at full capacity would only just fit in the number of players Stick Cricket has in 1 day.
• 17.6 minutes - is how long, on average, a visit to the site lasts.
• 77695 - articles in the online forum.

Source: Stick Cricket: About

Sources

• Stick Cricket.com [2] Accessed 19/02/2005

There is also a Stick Cricket Forum. It has many different topics mainly focussing on cricket and Stick Cricket. Link to forum