HINTS & TIPS

READ THIS FIRST - A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CRICKET STATS

This guide is intended to lead you easily through a sample turn, to put together a first successful set of instructions. It's provided by one of the existing players, who's been involved in the game since it first started. After this you can get into more detail in in later turns. For now we're assuming you're taking over an existing team, but if you're in a brand new league from scratch the startup procedure is pretty easy to follow and then you'll be in the same position when the first turn comes around.

Cricket Stats is actually a fairly simple game to play. Each turn you compete with the other managers to sign the players you think will perform well (score runs, take wicketes etc) and you pick a team (from among the players you already signed) according to what they really do. You also choose tactics to gamble between what your players do in the current week and how they've performed in the past.

PLAYERS & SQUADS

The first thing to do is to look over your current squad and team selection, given in the top half of your "team report". You will notice that your squad listing is composed of basically four types of players - batsmen (BAT), bowlers (BWL), wicketkeepers (WKT) and all-rounders (ALL). See 3.2 in the rules for more detail. You will also find other variants, such as WKA (a batsman who can also keep wicket) and UNK or unknown, the usual designation for new cricketers when they first appear on the scene... .

Each cricketer in your current squad of 18 (max) has other data that further clarify his role and value. He will have a number which represents his place in the "Player List" of all the players available in the game. You use this number, rather than the player's name, when you want to change your lineup or your squad.

He will also have a county or country (whoever he plays for in real life) and an abbreviation showing what kind of bowler he is (3.4):- "R" for right arm or "L" for left-arm in conjunction with four basic types - "P" for Pace, "M" for a seamer, "L" for leg-spinner and "S" for other spinners; "V" covers all other "freaks" and strays! Additionally, a player may have ability as a captain indicated by a "(c)" behind his name. An experienced captain helps to improve your fielding performance (3.5).

Each player's value/cost to your team is shown in the columns to the right of those already described. This "value" determines the number of "Losing Points" you'd get if you waived him, and his "wages" are what you're paying (per week) to keep him. Note that his value (and hence his wages) may increase as his form improves (see section 3.15). His form (in both first class and limited overs cricket) is condensed into a few "working averages" which are essential in helping you decide which tactics to use (see later).

TEAM SELECTION & TACTICS

After making some considered judgements you should be in a position to make your team selection for the current week, and fill in the boxes in "Selection" section of your turnsheet. Here you must pick five batsmen from the catgeories BAT, ALL and WKA, one wicketkeeper (WKA or WKT), one all-rounder (anything except WKT or UNK) and four bowlers (either BWL or ALL). The captain should be one of the eleven players you pick!!

An important feature is that most of the time you can look at some of the scores in current games BEFORE deciding your team selection and tactics. This isn't cheating: you can't pick someone unless you already splashed out to sign them, and you've got quite a small squad to pick from.

Give each player selected a "strategy" for the week. For both batsmen and bowlers, use the ATTACK strategy if you think he's in a "purple patch" that week, either scoring a lot of runs or taking a lot of wickets. Use DEFEND for a batsman if he performs badly (compare his "working average" to what he's doing in real life) and for a bowler if he doesn't get wickets ((or the rest of your bowlers don't get enough wickets for them to come into play). Use CRUISE to hedge your bets, allowing you to benefit from good scores while diluting the failures. Games are often decided by good tactics, and not just by the stats.

SPECIAL ACTIONS & FREE AGENTS BIDS

One way of getting results is by selecting shrewdly from within your existing squad. The other is by signing new players who are currently "free agents" - i.e. they are on the player list but not signed to any team. You can bid for up to two free agents each turn by using the "Free Agent Bids" section of your turnsheet. Your bid will be published in the league report and is successful if it stands the next turn with no higher bid being made by another team (and anybody who wants to outbid you after your bid has been published must at least double your existing offer).

There are no "direct" transfers in Cricket Stats, as the system is designed to work indirectly instead. No-one can set up a trade between two teams that excludes other potential bidders: they can only put a player up for offers and accept the highest bid.

WAIVE This is the action you use to clear the decks of unwanted players Important, because there's no point bidding for a someone new if there's no room in your squad for him! Note that you get to keep half the current value in Losing Points of any player you waive (see 4.2, 4.3) and get half of what anyone else pays to sign him later.

FAST SIGN An alternative action (4.4) to the normal free agent bids, this enables you to sign a free agent immediately (unlike a normal bid where the signing can't be completed until the following turn), and usually cheaply. On the negative side, fast signings still compete normally with other bids (highest bid wins) and any player signed this way will start with a contract value of 1 LP - however many LPs you've spent in your bid for him!

TRADE A good way of making a player in your squad available to interested buyers at an agreed price. You can use the player message section to negotiate with the other party, then employ the TRADE action (4.5) to put the player on the block and hopefully complete the deal. The danger is that (1) any other team can pay the asking price for him, so competition is not ruled out, and (2) every turn a player sits on the trade list without a bid or waiver being made his asking price is reduced by 10% (3) he's still vulnerable to "poaching" (see next paragraph) whilst on the trade list.

POACH Use this action to approach players already signed up to other teams but who you think are under-valued. Although the POACH action demands an offer at least twice the current value of the player (with an extra cost of 20% of the offer, paid up front) it is likely to force your opponent to either match your offer or release him so that he can be signed as free agent in the normal way. Note that even if the initial approach is successful you're still competing with everyone else for the player as a free agent.

If it is your own player being poached (by someone else) you can use the "CONTRACT" action to match the offer and keep the player (4.8).

These are the "Special Actions" you'll use to transform the quality of your team. There are other actions which provide further help: SCOUT allows you to search for particular types of player (signed or unsigned) who might fill a need on your team (4.9). The three coaching actions (ATTACK, DEFEND and BATTING, 4.10) allow you to develop the character of your side in the field by emphasising aggression (producing run-outs, sharp running between the wickets) or security (saving runs in the field, reducing possibility of run-outs).

The three financial actions (MARK, MERC and MEMBERS) can help generate extra LPs to assist your wheeling and dealing (4.11 to 4.13).

SUMMARY

It's worth reading through both the Adjudication method (how real-life cricket performances are translated into game stats) and the Quick Reference tables in the back pages of the rules to gain a better idea of the game's mechanics.

The above guide, however, should be enough to push you through the early turns of "Cricket Stats" without undue alarm. Use it as a base to expand your understanding of the game and your enjoyment will increase proportionally. If you're careful with your financial and playing resources, assess the form and potential of real-life cricketers accurately, make deals and spot bargains to develop your squad, then you should be able to make rapid progress in the right direction.

An extra suggestion to get the most out of the game is if you know anyone else who'd enjoy it then get them involved as well. There's usually a team that needs rebuilding so they can get started for free. That adds an edge to the competition. If you're in different leagues then you have the freedom to swap news and ideas on which players to go for - if you're in the same league then you may need to be careful to not be too helpful.

Top of Page                 No menu frame visible? Use the Menu Page.