Practice mode: play cricket offline against Lumi AI

Sometimes there is no signal, no friends online, or you simply want ten quiet minutes with a bat. That is what Practice mode is for. It is a complete match against Lumi AI, our computer opponent, and it runs entirely on your phone.

It describes the build we are testing now. Details can change before release; if they do, we'll update this page.

What Practice mode is

Practice is the second button on the home screen, under Play Online. It is:

• Offline. It needs no internet connection and uses no mobile data.
• Open to everyone. You can play it without signing in.
• A real match. Two innings, a target, a winner and a scorecard at the end.

Nothing you do in Practice affects your online record, so it is the place to try things.

Pick your team

Before the match you choose which of the eight franchises you play for. Flick through them and you will see each team's home ground, its motto and its star player with a rating.

Lumi AI takes a different team each time, so you will meet all the others sooner or later. The full list is on the teams page, and the squads are there too.

How a Practice match runs

1. You bowl first. Lumi AI bats and sets a score. Drag on the pitch to choose where the ball lands, pick the delivery, and tap BOWL when the needle is in the green.
2. The innings break. A card shows what Lumi AI made and what you need.
3. You chase. Now you bat. Tap when the ring turns gold: the left half of the screen plays to the leg side, the right half to the off side, and the top half lofts the ball.
4. The result. Pass the target and you win. Fall short and Lumi AI takes it. If the scores finish level, it is a tie.

A gold chip under the score keeps you informed all the way: how many balls Lumi AI has left while you bowl, and how many runs you need from how many balls while you chase.

The scorecard

When the match ends you get a card with both innings side by side: each team's score, the overs faced, and the fours and sixes hit. From there you can play again straight away or go back to the lobby.

Who is Lumi AI?

Lumi AI is the name of the computer opponent across Lacspace games. In NPL Cricket League it plays only in Practice mode. Online matches are between real people on both sides; Lumi AI never fills in for a missing player there.

It bats sensibly rather than perfectly. Bowl a good length on the stumps and it will defend. Drop short or stray wide and it will punish you, which is exactly what a good batter does.

What to practise

Practice mode is most useful when you go in with one thing to work on.

• Timing. Play a whole chase without lofting a single ball. Just try to see "Perfect timing" as often as you can. The batting guide explains the ring.
• Placement. Pick a gap before the ball is bowled and hit it there, whatever the delivery.
• The yorker. Spend an over trying to land every ball at the batter's feet. The bowling guide covers line and length.
• A change of pace. Bowl two quick ones, then take the pace off, and watch what Lumi AI does.

The stadium is the same

You are not practising in an empty net. Practice uses the full night ground: the crowd in team colours, the floodlights, the commentary line at the bottom of the screen and the television cameras that follow a big hit. You can change your own view with the CAM button at any time.

If your phone feels slow, open Settings and lower the graphics level; our settings guide explains each option.

During maintenance

Now and then we will take online play down for a short time to update the servers. When that happens the game tells you on the home screen, and Practice stays open. You never need the server to play Lumi AI.

Then take it online

When you are winning in Practice more often than not, you are ready for people. Here is how to play online with friends.

NPL Cricket League is still in development. Pre-register and we'll tell you when you can play.

NPL Cricket League is a game by Lacspace inspired by Nepal's T20 franchise cricket. Team names identify the franchises; crests, kits and players in the game are our own, and players are fictional. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or licensed by the Cricket Association of Nepal, the Nepal Premier League or its franchises.