Bowlers that do not bowl and other observations.

[Don73]

Something that may need looking at here. Seems to be a lot of occasions where the AI will choose a batsman to bowl before or instead of a bowler. In one game, Hartley was no.11 for Lancs and did not bowl a ball in either innings. Bohannan, Croft and Jones bowled a good 30 overs between them in one innings. This just seems a bit odd? He hadn't retired hurt or anything like that either. I've also noticed Miles at Warwickshire rarely bowls either with Sam Hain coming on to bowl instead.

While I'm here. The change where AI's don't necessarily enforce the follow on is great but it's a little flawed as there is little game awareness to it. For instance, in a test match, Australia racked up 600 against Afghanistan before bowling them out for 80 odd in under 20 overs. Now, in that situation, you'd just stick them back in wouldn't you as your bowlers aren't going to be tired. But Aus went back in, scored another 250-300 and ended up winning the game by 600 odd runs which is a margin you just don't really see.

I like how FC games seem to peter out into draws on the last day a lot more. I like the realism there. In previous versions, day 4/5 has always seen gun-ho tactics from the batting side regardless of situation.

Is there any chance that bowlers could bowl longer lasting bowling spells? A spinner should be able to bowl unchanged through an entire session for instance without needing to be rested.

Love the game. Looking forward to the resumption of the two divisions for next years edition.

[Trevfromsussex&Oz]

Something that may need looking at here. Seems to be a lot of occasions where the AI will choose a batsman to bowl before or instead of a bowler. In one game, Hartley was no.11 for Lancs and did not bowl a ball in either innings. Bohannan, Croft and Jones bowled a good 30 overs between them in one innings. This just seems a bit odd? He hadn't retired hurt or anything like that either. I've also noticed Miles at Warwickshire rarely bowls either with Sam Hain coming on to bowl instead.

While I'm here. The change where AI's don't necessarily enforce the follow on is great but it's a little flawed as there is little game awareness to it. For instance, in a test match, Australia racked up 600 against Afghanistan before bowling them out for 80 odd in under 20 overs. Now, in that situation, you'd just stick them back in wouldn't you as your bowlers aren't going to be tired. But Aus went back in, scored another 250-300 and ended up winning the game by 600 odd runs which is a margin you just don't really see.

I like how FC games seem to peter out into draws on the last day a lot more. I like the realism there. In previous versions, day 4/5 has always seen gun-ho tactics from the batting side regardless of situation.

Is there any chance that bowlers could bowl longer lasting bowling spells? A spinner should be able to bowl unchanged through an entire session for instance without needing to be rested.

Love the game. Looking forward to the resumption of the two divisions for next years edition.

The bowlers problem has been around for a long time. England in the early 70s used to have a 3/2 mix eg Snow, Ward, Shuttleworth/ Illingworth, Underwood. The computer will bowl a batsman like Boycott before the third paceman even when he is number 11 in the order.

[ruby23]

Something that may need looking at here. Seems to be a lot of occasions where the AI will choose a batsman to bowl before or instead of a bowler. In one game, Hartley was no.11 for Lancs and did not bowl a ball in either innings. Bohannan, Croft and Jones bowled a good 30 overs between them in one innings. This just seems a bit odd? He hadn't retired hurt or anything like that either. I've also noticed Miles at Warwickshire rarely bowls either with Sam Hain coming on to bowl instead.

While I'm here. The change where AI's don't necessarily enforce the follow on is great but it's a little flawed as there is little game awareness to it. For instance, in a test match, Australia racked up 600 against Afghanistan before bowling them out for 80 odd in under 20 overs. Now, in that situation, you'd just stick them back in wouldn't you as your bowlers aren't going to be tired. But Aus went back in, scored another 250-300 and ended up winning the game by 600 odd runs which is a margin you just don't really see.

I like how FC games seem to peter out into draws on the last day a lot more. I like the realism there. In previous versions, day 4/5 has always seen gun-ho tactics from the batting side regardless of situation.

Is there any chance that bowlers could bowl longer lasting bowling spells? A spinner should be able to bowl unchanged through an entire session for instance without needing to be rested.

Love the game. Looking forward to the resumption of the two divisions for next years edition.

In FC matches, usually the top 4 skilled bowlers bowl the chunk of the overs or sometimes all of them also. So if you have an instance of an all rounder who's bowling skill is better than a regular bowler, in all probability he will overbowl the regular bowler in terms of overs. On many occasions for me also I've noticed this phenomenon when I choose 5 bowlers in an attack.

With regard to batsmen bowling those 1 or two overs after first change, the AI has this odd quirk when the pitch is suited for seamers. For example, if you go in with 2 seamers and 2 spinners, you can be assured that the AI will choose some batsman who is a RM to bowl between 16-18th over in the 1st ings. This issue is not seen in the 2nd ings when the pitch becomes more spin friendly. This quirk in the AI has been noticed in all versions since 2018.

[Yorkie]

Been mentioned a few times I know, but what’s particularly galling is when on tour Country’s not choosing any Spinners, when good Spinners are clearly in their arsenal to use.

Been in Oz recently and Australia don’t choose any spinners, but then occasionally do set you a ‘spinners wicket’!
Don’t really understand the game rationale to do that?

At home the same can be said, when looking at the oppo prior match and no spinners are in the oppo squad, it can be a little tiresome to set a spinners wicket, a spin bowling attack and to watch the oppo struggle at the very thought of spin!

[Yorkie]

Regarding ‘following on’ I’ve just encountered something similar when just getting under the target (I finished my 1st innings 193 behind)
Australia back in then piled and piled on runs in their 2nd innings and set me a target of 601 to win but with just 4 sessions left for me to bat.
So being defensive i managed to draw after losing just 5 wickets, the point is Australia would have realistically declared long before that and maybe would have set me say 500 to win with 6 sessions remaining to get me out on a cloudy day with a lumpy wicket!

[Trevfromsussex&Oz]

Regarding ‘following on’ I’ve just encountered something similar when just getting under the target (I finished my 1st innings 193 behind)
Australia back in then piled and piled on runs in their 2nd innings and set me a target of 601 to win but with just 4 sessions left for me to bat.
So being defensive i managed to draw after losing just 5 wickets, the point is Australia would have realistically declared long before that and maybe would have set me say 500 to win with 6 sessions remaining to get me out on a cloudy day with a lumpy wicket!

Australia do have a habit on doing just that in the First Test. Remember in 2009 they set England 750 in Cardiff and England's last pair hung on for ten overs!

[Trevfromsussex&Oz]

The bowlers problem has been around for a long time. England in the early 70s used to have a 3/2 mix eg Snow, Ward, Shuttleworth/ Illingworth, Underwood. The computer will bowl a batsman like Boycott before the third paceman even when he is number 11 in the order.

I've checked this with a neighbour who does some programming. He thinks the problem is the computer only recognizes even numbers. So try picking six Bowlers if you have batsmen who bowl it might work.

[ruby23]

I've checked this with a neighbour who does some programming. He thinks the problem is the computer only recognizes even numbers. So try picking six Bowlers if you have batsmen who bowl it might work.

I don't think so, in most ODI's and T20's, the AI uses only 5 bowlers whereas 6 would be ideal! For example, I've seen England play Livingstone in more than 10 T20's without him ever bowling.