Cricket 22 Beginner’s Guide: Tips & Tricks

by Yannis Vatis / Game Guides, General Guides, Highlights / 09 Dec 2021

After an agonizing last-minute delay, Cricket 22 is finally out. It’s been a hot minute since a proper game version of the popular sport became available. This time around, it’s also chockfull of licensed teams from across the spectrum of leagues, including women. On top of that, Cricket 22 comes with a host of new mechanics and tweaks to the old formula, making it the most refined title in the series.

For those of you who are new to the game, whether seasoned fans of the sport itself or otherwise, we’ve got a few beginner tips to help give you a running start.

Practice in the Nets Challenges

In real cricket, whether you’re a batsman or a bowler, you spend a lot of time in the nets. This is the area where you can practice either skill, arguably two of the most critical aspects of the sport. Cricket 22 introduces a similar way to practice through its Nets Challenges.

In some ways, it’s similar to a fighting game’s training mode. To practice your skills, you can tweak various options, including an AI batman or bowler’s difficulty level. Furthermore, a few mini-games allow you to hone your skills as you climb the leaderboard. In other words, be sure to spend as much time in the nets as you do playing matches. Solid batting and bowling are the foundations through which you define how well you play Cricket 22.

And feel free to refer to our Cricket 22 controls guide if you are having a tough time remembering the key bindings.

Understand the Mechanics of Bowling

The bowling mechanics of the series have come a long way, and Cricket 22 continuous to advance it. Through further refinements, you’re now able to add more nuance to your shots more than ever. Your choices here define where the ball goes from where you bounce to your bowling style. This is where the Nets Challenges come into play. Set yourself in the training area and practice making the ball go in the direction you want. Try to figure out all the different ways you can make it go to the target zone by the wicket.

Once you understand what each shot type does and how bounce affects them, you’re ready to move on to the next stage of bowling.

Refine Shots with Aftertouch

Aftertouch is the newest mechanic introduced in Cricket 22. It allows you to effectively alter and influence the direction the ball goes right after it bounces. In other words, you can take your mind games against the opposing batsman to a whole new level.

By holding a direction with the L stick after selecting where the ball hits, you’ll influence where it goes, which will ultimately dictate its trajectory and speed. Once again, hitting the Nets Challenges for some practice will help you create some genuinely bamboozling shots.

Get Used to Advancing

Advancing as a batsman in Cricket 22 is one of the best ways to score highly and place yourself in a good position. The key is getting your batsman to do this right as he touches the ball. Press into the R stick just as the bowler is in his run. Once the batsman hits the ball, they’ll advance immediately afterward. Once again, Nets training is your friend here.

Understand the Direct Hits System

Many Cricket 22 players choose to play the game in “automatic fielding” mode. However, you can do a fair amount more by playing in “manual”. However, to be successful with this, you need to understand the game’s Direct Hits system.

In essence, when the ball reaches a close fielder, the game switches to a new zoomed-in camera angle and slows down time. This allows you to make a decision on what to do. You can choose to go for the wickets or go for a safe throw. Either way, you’ll have to be conscious of the power bars that fill up when you hold down the power button.

Cricket 22 PC Controls and Key Bindings – Full List

Yannis Vatis

Yannis is a veteran gamer with over 30 years of experience playing a wide spectrum of video games. When not writing about games, he's playing them, and if he's not playing them, then he's definitely thinking about them.
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