Brian Lara International Cricket 2007

After England's abysmal tour down under, our chances of winning the World Cup look as likely as Jade Goody releasing a bhangra ragamuffin version of Endless Love with Apache Indians for charity. That said, the moment Brian Lara boots up, you're sent to the deliciously detailed sun-drenched wickets of the West Indies and India, your mood is instantly lifted and the painful memory of the Ashes tour dims slightly. Only slightly, mind you.

It isn't all Red Stripes in the sun, though. Brian Lara 2007 is an accessible but unspectacular cricket sim which feels slightly shallow compared to the more serious EA Cricket 2007. Of course, it's far more approachable. From the comprehensive, but never patronising, tutorials to its simpler batting and bowling controls, it breaks down one the world's most deliberately complicated sports into a fun pick-up-and-play game attuned for multi-player. But while its EA counterpart took the bold step of mapping shot play onto the analogue stick, Brian Lara's old-school technique feels less involving, even if it does give you far superior control over the direction of your shots.