Play Brian Lara Cricket (March 1995) Online

Brian Lara Cricket came out on the Sega Genesis, or Mega Drive depending on where you lived, in 1995. It was developed by Audiogenic and published by Codemasters, arriving at a time when sports games were really starting to find their footing on 16-bit consoles. This one stood out for cricket fans who had been waiting for something that felt a bit more serious than what had come before.

You control a batsman or bowler, with the main goal being to either score runs or take wickets depending on which side you're on. The batting involves carefully timing your shots with a cursor to direct the ball into gaps, while bowling lets you choose your delivery type and aim to outfox the batter. Fielding is handled automatically, with players chasing down the ball in a charmingly frantic way. The game moves at a deliberate pace, especially in test matches, and the difficulty can be quite sharp once the computer bowler finds a rhythm. It feels genuinely satisfying to settle in for a long innings and slowly build a score through well-placed shots.