Taking guard against digital Warnie

When the call came I just about jumped out of my skin.

"Do you want to face an over from Shane Warne over at the MCG?" You better believe I do.

That it was not to be the flesh-and-blood Shane Keith Warne but rather his digital avatar only marginally lessened my enthusiasm.

The MCG's National Sports Museum currently has two Oculus Rift virtual reality machines, the only ones of their kind in the world, specifically designed for the custom software that allows you to don a lightweight headset, pick up a 'bat' and take guard against digital Warnie. 

No pads, no box required!

These machines are prototypes, and this is essentially a trial that will help further the development of the technology.

Improvements have already been made, and it's amazing to think how much further this could go. 

The 'bat' is where this current version falls a little short. A hand-held remote control – think like a hi-tech, ultra-sensitive version of the Nintendo Wii controller – is what you grip.

It's very light and it's rectangular, so it feels more comfortable to hold in a way that closes off the face of the 'bat' (that's my excuse for squirting through point and I'm sticking with it).

Attempts were made to bury the sensor inside a real piece of willow, but the propensity of players to tap the bat on the ground in their stance caused calibration issues.

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The view from the 'grandstand' at the National Sports Museum // cricket.com.au

A plastic bat was no better and developers are working on a new solution that will be down the line.

Warne's personal involvement has been several years in the making and the result is one hell of a lot of fun.

He was motion-captured for the simulation: the swagger, the run-up, the bowling action are all very authentic. He sledges, too. 

In the United States at February's NBA All-Star game, fans queued for hours for the chance to re-enact Michael Jordan's famous final shot to win the Chicago Bulls' sixth championship.

That technology involved a combination of virtual reality and motion-sensors with human actors employed to play the roles of the on-court protagonists, with the fan taking the role of Jordan.

Warne's 'King of Spin' experience requires only a headset that gives a 360-degree immersive experience.

I've played all the cricket games: from ironing flat the felt of my Test Match outfield to spending more hours than I'd like to admit on Brian Lara Cricket and dominating the world on my iPhone with Stick Cricket.

This leaves them for dead.

The graphics are obviously computer generated, but just as obviously a giant step beyond what a home gaming console can provide.

Watching on from the waiting area, viewing a colleague's progress on the TV screen, I at first thought this might be a bit gimmicky.

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Our journo plays a shot with the virtual bat // cricket.com.au

But as soon as that headset comes down, the software loads and you're suddenly in the middle of the MCG, your virtual lump of willow appearing in your hand pleasingly like a lightsabre, the immersive experience is real.

Lag is non-existent. A glance around reveals the MCG in all its packed-to-the-rafters glory.

The pitch is a flat and dry day one pitch – no pesky footmarks!

The wicketkeeper is up to the stumps, the fielders are hawkishly close, chirping in your ear.

The sense of depth and perspective is authentic. The coliseum encircles you, closing in. 

And standing three-quarters of the way down the pitch is Warnie, slim, blonde, tanned and staring intently at you.

"Ready? Right, let's go," he says. 

This early version of the technology requires the headset to be tethered to the computers, quickly ending thoughts of dancing down the track and swatting half-volleys through mid-wicket, flamingo style.

It turns out the digital Warnie is a lot more forthcoming and friendly to batsman than the real-life version. A quick description of the ball he's about to deliver gives you some clue as to what's coming. 

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Warnie (the real one) gives it his all with an appeal // Getty

"This one is a real pie," was particularly instructive. Pleasingly it was given the treatment it deserved and dispatched over extra cover for a boundary. 

The first six balls are gentle, they don't turn much and they are hittable.

The next six balls are at 'real' speed. 

They're the types of delivery that helped The King garner 708 Test wickets, another 293 in one-day internationals and a reputation that had batsman lightyears better than me so muddled they were out before even reaching the middle.

My first instinct was not to be embarrassed, survival first and all that. That lasted all of one ball.

After all, how often do you get the chance to try and smack a legend back over his head? 

The leg-break turned a mile, caught the outside edge and somehow dropped short of slip. Thank goodness a virtual Mark Waugh hasn't been developed yet.

The wrong-un would have had a virtual Gilchrist stumping me down the leg-side.

The top-spinner yielded a single to sneak off strike, but there's no hiding at the non-striker's end. 

The slider safely negotiated, the "zooter" did me in. My virtual off-stump was virtually splayed across the floor while Warnie's send-off was a little too real.

Shane Warne's King of Spin Oculus Rift experience is available now to National Sports Museum visitors until April 18, 2015. For more information, including opening hours and tickets, visit nsm.org.au

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