Cricket 19 review – exemplary sports sim steps up to the crease

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC; Big Ant Studios/Maximum Games
Delivering all the funky play any bowler or batsman could desire, this virtual leather-on-willow is the best cricket game yet

Gamers rarely get to hear the thwack of virtual leather on willow these days. But in the midst of a huge summer for cricket in the UK, with the World Cup followed by an Ashes series, Australian developer Big Ant Studios has stepped into the breach.

Cricket 19 has a great career mode that lets you work your way up from club cricket, or take control of an established pro. In each game, you can either control your player alone or their entire team. There are playable scenarios from famous real-life games, and a welter of editing tools that let you design your own custom competitions, bats and cricket grounds.