Owzat! Big Cup Cricket (iPhone)

iPhone games. You've got to love the 59p price point - effectively small change, barely noticeable, 'worth a punt' sort of money. Whilst you'd umm and ahh about a full RRP purchase, ensuring you're going to get what you'd expect - value for money, quality, durability - for 59p you lower your guard. Multiple hours of playtime, depth, perfection of control are all easily eschewed in favour of pick up and play immediacy of enjoyment. Depth, variety and longevity are all bonus points rather than essentials. So with your guard lowered, it's a real moment of joy when you discern a diamond amongst the rough of the 59p price point store.

Moving slightly up the price scale, but still affordable at the equivalent price of a coffee (£1.19 the last time I checked), 'Big Cup Criket' offers a Sensible Soccer-esque take on the hallowed wicket of willow and leather. Pared down to the essentials, bowling and batting take the form of directional finger swipes, the speed and length of your 'flick' determining the nature of the bowl or stroke accordingly. It's good too - immediate, adaptable and with enough feeling of 'fair.' Catches are actioned through a directional press/flick (albeit they're arguably a little too easy) and you get a good mix of bowled wickets and catches to add diversity. Sadly, LBW is usurped in favour of keeping things simple-stupid, which is a bit of a pity for true cricket enthusiasts who may lament the exact degree to which the intricacies of the sport have been stripped down. Equally, the inability to move fielders, to match your bowling style, seems like a bit of a development shortcut. So if it's not quite the finished article, is it worth its 'relative' premium price point of £1.19?

The key point from my perspective is that whilst the game has its foibles, it's damn good fun. I've racked up a few thousand runs, won a couple of trophies and collected most of the acheivements. But I've yet to master the cups on the hardest difficulty setting and I've still got a few one day internationals to excel in. Will I return and collect everything? Possibly. Will I open the app now and again for a quick arcade-esque sporting fix? Definitely. Is it worth £1.19 of anyone's money? Without question.