STUMPED!


   Here's the ONLY cricket simulation for the ST! Get your pads out, pick
     up you bat and stride out onto the wicket at the latest test match


Stumped gives you realistic ball by ball commentary of a cricket match - either
limited overs, or full county or test match. It can be played by two players or
teams, or solo for fun. Tell the ST the type of game you want, the teams and
players, and even which side is stronger if you like. Then toss up, decide
whether to bat or bowl, depending on weather and wicket, and away you go.

    All major rules of cricket are catered for, and a full scorecard is given
at the end of each over. A full range of tactical choices are also available,
letting you bat or aggressively or defensively, declare and so on, or else set
your field and change your bowlers as circumstances dictate. The game has been
designed for maximum realism and is true to life right down to when rain stops
play!

    A full game of Stumped may take several hours to play, so there is a
facility to save a game to disk. Also, although you don't need a printer, you
can use one to print the scores and results.

    Before you start a match you have to give the program a few details about
the type of match, the teams and players involved and so on. However, most of
the details are already provided as default values. You may either leave these
values as they stand, or change them to ones which better suit you.

    Changing a value is easy: all you do is point the mouse at it so that it is
highlighted (if it doesn't highlight, it can't be changed). Then click either
mouse button. Although some typing is occasionally involved, most values change
automatically. The left mouse button usually increases a value and the right
button decreases it.

    Stumped allows both limited over and double innings matches. Clicking on
Type of Match alternates between the two. You can also change the number of
overs, or days over which the match is to be played. Overs can range between 10
and 80, days between one and seven.

    A final option is to play to pre-1983 rules. Before 1983, no-balls and
wides did not count against a bowler's analysis, so if you want maximum realism
for a "historic" match, choose Yes. By default, your match will be between
England and Australia. To change this, click on either team name and type a new
one.

    Bias enables you to make one side stronger than the other, if required.
None means that the sides are evenly matched, but Home or Away give a slight
advantage to the home or away side. Given an even run of luck, Bias should give
a pointer to the likely result.

    The players are listed below their respective team names. Beside each
player are two numbers, under headings Bt and Bl. These refer to his batting
and bowling ability. Also listed, under the heading Sp, is his bowling style.
Merit numbers range from poor to good. Bowling style can vary from slow, via to
fast.

    The wicket keeper and captain are displayed for each team by player number.
Initially, the captains are chosen at random, but the wicket keepers are always
number seven. To choose alternatives for either, click on the relevant number.
All that remains is to decide who will bat first. The visiting captain will be
asked to call heads or tails and the winning captain invited to decide between
batting first, or fielding.

    The weather can range from rain to sun. It is decided at random, but will
frequently change as the match progresses. A weather forecast is given, but
there is always a chance that the forecaster will get it wrong! Light can range
from bad to very good and can affect a batsman's ability to see and therefore
judge a ball. The wicket is the most important factor governing what happens in
a game and there are five possible types ranging from very poor to very good.

    Some rules have had to be amended or omitted. All types of dismissal are
catered for, except Timed Out and Obstructing the Field. In a run out, either
batsman may be out, but unless the run out happens at the end of an over, the
new batsman will always face the next ball. Batsmen never cross during a catch.
Batsmen sometimes retire injured and this will show as such on the scorecard.
Fielders never get hurt. When no-balls or wides are bowled one run is added to
the batting total and an extra ball allowed for in the over.

    Only 10 different bowlers may bowl in any one innings. This is more than
enough for most normal games, and is only necessary due to lack of space on the
scorecard.

    Time is not really significant in one day games, but plays an important
role in double innings matches. In such games, each day's play is divided into
three sessions (morning, afternoon and evening). Each session lasts for 120
minutes. There is a minimum number of overs which must be bowled in a day, and
if after 120 minutes of the Evening session this number has not been reached,
play will continue until it has.

    Breaks between innings will last about 10 minutes, during which time the
minimum number of overs for the day will be reduced by three. This number will
also be reduced in the event of rain or bad light.

    At the end of each session you will see a Match Summary screen. It will
only remain for a few seconds, but can be frozen by pressing a key. During rain
or bad light in a double innings game, the maximum number of overs to be bowled
in the day is reduced by one for every four minutes lost.


HARDWARE: All STs, COLOUR MONITOR, STOS