Batting scores tend to be a little lower in adverse weather conditions, eg. the further the weather is from sunny, generally the lower the scores (stats from Raptornex, sampled from 10000+ matches):

The aggressiveness of the captain has no effect on the fielding of the team or individual players.

What Does The Captain Do On Matchday?

He determines how much the team obeys your orders.
As the first class game comes along, the captain will start to take a lot more responsibility for who bowls and when. This will also take more of an effect when you see the conditional orders becoming available.

What skills does a Captain require?

Experience and Leadership.

Captains will definitely have much more of a role to play in FC matches.

During the IRC Q&A on 17 Oct 2006, Allan stated:
“How much of an input does a captain have on the team? A small effect – you will see it become more in the FC games.”

During the IRC Q&A on 30 Jun 2006, Allan stated:
“When selecting a captain, will his Aggression affect the decisions he will make in the match (ie. will an aggressive captain set more aggressive fields etc than a defensive captain?)? No – his aggression only has an impact on his personal performance.”

You must select 5 bowlers for a one day match. Each bowler will bowl 10 overs. The player you select as bowler 1 (b1) will bowl first, b2 will bowl second, b3 will come on first change and so on.

Default
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,46,48,50
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 3: 12,14,16,18,20,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 4: 15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33
Bowler 5: 22,24,26,28,30,35,37,39,42,44

Openers Through
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20
Bowler 3: 21,23,25,35,37,39,41,43,45,50
Bowler 4: 22,24,26,28,30,32,34,44,46,48
Bowler 5: 27,29,31,33,36,38,40,42,47,49

Bowler 1 Through
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 3: 12,14,16,18,20,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 4: 21,23,25,27,29,31,33,46,48,50
Bowler 5: 22,24,26,28,30,35,37,39,42,44

Bowler 2 Through
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20
Bowler 3: 22,24,26,28,30,42,44,46,48,50
Bowler 4: 11,13,15,17,19,31,33,35,37,39
Bowler 5: 21,23,25,27,29,41,43,45,47,49

Bowler 4 & 5 Finish
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,35,37,39
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,36,38,40
Bowler 3: 15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33
Bowler 4: 16,18,20,22,24,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 5: 26,28,30,32,34,42,44,46,48,50

Sets of 5
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9 ,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,22,24,26,28,30
Bowler 3: 11,13,15,17,19,31,33,35,37,39
Bowler 4: 12,14,16,18,20,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 5: 21,23,25,27,29,42,44,46,48,50

Bowler 1 & 2 Start & Finish
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,42,44,46,48,50
Bowler 3: 11,13,15,17,19,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 4: 12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30
Bowler 5: 21,23,25,27,29,31,33,35,37,39

Bowler 4 Finish
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,18,20,22,24,26,28,30
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,41,43,45,47,49
Bowler 3: 7,9,12,14,16,21,23,25,27,29
Bowler 4: 32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50
Bowler 5: 11,13,15,17,19,31,33,35,37,39

Bowler 5 Finish
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,21,23,25,27,29
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,10,22,24,26,28,30
Bowler 3: 11,13,15,17,19,42,44,46,48,50
Bowler 4: 12,14,16,18,20,32,34,36,38,40
Bowler 5: 31,33,35,37,39,41,43,45,47,49

Rotation
Bowler 1: 1,6,11,16,21,26,31,36,41,46
Bowler 2: 2,7,12,17,22,27,32,37,42,47
Bowler 3: 3,8,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48
Bowler 4: 4,9,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49
Bowler 5: 5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50

Sets of 4 and 6
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,9,11,25,27,29,31
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,40,42,44,46,48,50
Bowler 3: 10,12,14,16,26,28,30,32,34,36
Bowler 4: 13,15,17,19,21,23,33,35,37,39
Bowler 5: 18,20,22,24,38,41,43,45,47,49

Bowler 5 Middle Spell
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,17,19,37,39,47,49
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,21,23,38,40,48,50
Bowler 3: 9,11,13,15,25,27,29,41,43,45
Bowler 4: 10,12,14,16,31,33,35,42,44,46
Bowler 5: 18,20,22,24,26,28,30,32,34,36

Short Spells
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,14,16,18,20,35,37,39
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,19,21,23,25,38,40,42
Bowler 3: 7,9,11,22,24,26,28,41,43,45
Bowler 4: 8,10,12,27,29,31,33,44,47,49
Bowler 5: 13,15,17,30,32,34,36,46,48,50

Short Spells 2
Bowler 1: 1,3,5,7,18,20,22,33,35,37
Bowler 2: 2,4,6,8,21,23,25,39,41,43
Bowler 3: 9,11,13,24,26,28,30,40,42,44
Bowler 4: 10,12,14,16,27,29,31,45,47,49
Bowler 5: 15,17,19,32,34,36,38,46,48,50

During the IRC Q&A on 28 Jan 2007, Allan stated:
“Is there actually anything in the game engine that simulates the new ball, and therefore making it more advantageous to open with a seamer as opposed to a spinner? Yes – although I’m not convinced that it is working as well as I would like.”

FC Format

For the FC format, you must select at least 4 bowlers to bowl throughout the match. You need to set the maximum overs each bowler can bowl in any one spell – between 3 and 25. You also need to set the minimum overs each bowler can bowl – between 3 and the maximum you set. You also need to set the Maximum RR that each bowler is allowed to go for – before tha captain changes the bowler – this overrides the minimum spell setting.

BT20 Format

In the BT20 format, you do not get an option of how your bowlers bowl.

Bowler 1 will bowl overs 1, 3, 17 & 19
Bowler 2 will bowl overs 2, 4, 6 & 20
Bowler 3 will bowl overs 5, 7, 12 & 14
Bowler 4 will bowl overs 8, 10, 16 & 18
Bowler 5 will bowl overs 9, 11, 13 & 15

• Very Defensive
• Defensive
• Normal
• Attacking
• Very Attacking

Coupled with the batsmans natural aggression level, you can temper a batsmans attacking tendancies.  For example, a player who has a Destructive nature, can be “toned down” by setting his batting orders to Defensive or Very Defensive.  If you were to set his orders to Very Attacking, you may experience him scoring at a quicker rate, but having a tendancy to get out quicker.

In a match, you will receive a Reporters Summary.  The contribution to each area : Top Order, Middle Order & Lower Order in the batting section is determined as such :-

* Top order
Batting positions 1, 2 and 3.
* Middle order
Batting positions 4, 5, 6 and 7.
* Bottom order
Batting positions 8, 9, 10 and 11.

So, if you play your stringest batsmen at positions 1,2 & 3 – you will find your Top Order receives the highest rankings

Select Bowlers

You must select 5 bowlers for a one day match. Each bowler will bowl 10 overs, unless the opposing team is bowled out, or they reach the target runs set in the 1st innings. The player you select as bowler 1 (b1) will bowl first, b2 will bowl second, b3 will come on first change and so on.

Select Bowling Tactics

There are some preset tactics that determine which order the bowlers bowl in, and for how long. Each one has plus points and negative points, you must select the one that you think is most appropriate for the match.

Individual Player Instructions

The next step is to give the players individual orders if you so wish.
You can give instructions to each batsman as to how to approach his innings: attacking, normal or defensive.

Similarly, you can give the same choice of orders to each of your 5 bowlers that you have nominated. Although the batsman and bowlers will generally follow this order, they may deviate if the situation requires it. They are more likely to do this if their experience is high.

Individual match order have no impact on player form.

First Class Matches

You must select at least 3 bowlers in a first class match, up to a maximum of 10 (obviously the wicket keeper can’t bowl).  You need to select the priority that they will bowl, followed by the minimum number of overs in a bowling spell, the maximum number of overs they will bowl in 1 spell and the maximum run rate that you want them to stay on for.  So you may, for example, set the minimum to 4 overs, the maximum to 10 – but at any time in a bowling spell, if they go over the maximum run rate, the captain “can” stop the bowling spell short and put another bowler on.

In First Class matches you can also set a declaration point in either the 1st or 2nd or both innings. The minimum declaration point in the 1st innings is 200 and in the 2nd innings 100.  However if this leaves your opponent with a target of less than 100, then the captain will override the instruction and bat on until you lead by at least 100 runs.

Overs in a Day

There are 110 overs in a day, 35 overs in the morning session, 35 in the afternoon and 40 in the evening session.

Selling a Player During a Game

If you sell a player at any point during the match (including the twenty minutes before the start on day one when orders are locked) he will not be replaced in your team and will play the whole game.

TIE/PAN/GFI

The Take It Easy, Play As Normal and Go For It options are not available for First Class matches, but are for all other formats of the game.

Home Team Advantage

At present the only advantage held by the Home team is the ability to prepare the pitch type. No other bias or advantage exists.

Batting First or Second?

Some interesting stats comparing weather, bat/bowl first and match win rates. Stats made available from Raptornex – sampled from over 10000 matches:

Overcast and Cold
Batting first: 48.73%
Batting second: 51.27%

Partially cloudy:
Batting first: 45.92%
Batting second: 54.08%

Partially cloudy and windy:
Batting first: 50%
Batting second: 50%

Partially cloudy and humid:
Batting first: 45.75%
Batting second: 54.25%

Sunny:
Batting first: 45.92%
Batting second: 54.1%