The highs and lows of following the England cricket team are enough on their own to keep everyone glued to the various competitions they take part in.
Throw in franchise cricket, domestic competitions, and various World Cups and there is no doubt that the cricket calendar is as packed as it has ever been before, all ideal for those looking to find cricket matches and competitions to bet on.
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Over the summer bookmakers will be offering a large amount of free bets and enhanced odds offers around the best one-day and Test series.
You’ll also find a huge range of welcome offers currently on offer, perfect for betting on The Hundred as punters get to grips with the new 100-ball format.
You can find a full list of our cricket betting offers on our betting offers page.
Best Cricket Betting Sites
Many operators have an excellent cricket service for fans of the sport, with competitive odds, bonuses, enhanced markets, in play coverage and much more.
Betfred
Betfred offer very competitive odds across the board, and that’s no different when it comes to cricket.
On top of that, they’re also known to offer plenty of bonuses, boosts and free bets to players, so you can always get a good deal when you are betting with this brand.
Betfair
One of the market leaders for in play betting, if you are looking to bet during a game then Betfair is the place to go, as you’ll have plenty of different markets to choose from.
Alongside this, you’ll be able to take advantage of competitive odds, and bet on various cricketing leagues and competitions from all over the world.
bet365
When it comes to market choice, bet365 often stand out from the crowd, and in terms of cricket, they certainly do with some excellent betting markets to choose from.
They’ve also got an excellent in play section, with many events live streamed on their site, so you can use bet365 to bet on cricket, and watch the action unfold.
How to get cricket free bets
Using cricket free bets is a great way to enjoy risk-free gambling on this captivating sport.
Bookmakers offer deals such as cricket free bets to tempt people into signing up for an account on their sites, rather than with a rival operator in the industry.
We have all the best welcome offers right here, along with details on how to claim them.
Getting cricket free bets usually involves making a deposit and placing a qualifying wager, then the free bets will be automatically added to your account for you to use.
All bookmakers work in a slightly different way for these deals, so always check the small print of the terms and conditions beforehand to make sure you know what you are signing up for.
What to think about when betting on cricket
A variety of factors need to be taken into account when betting on cricket, with form and team news towards the top of the list, as in other sports such as football and rugby union.
But unlike other sports, the state of the pitch has a massive role to play in the result of a cricket match. A bouncy pitch will suit teams with rapid bowlers, while a surface that offers turn will provide encouragement to those who have elite spinners amid their ranks.
The surface has an impact on what teams will do if they win the toss, so it is often worth waiting until as close as possible to the start of a match before placing a bet on the outcome.
Like the pitch, weather is also very important when it comes to betting on cricket.
Rain affects matches on a regular basis, sometimes making it impossible for either side to win, while a break at the right time can have a significant impact on a team’s chances of success.
Popular Cricket Betting Markets
There are dozens of cricket betting odds available to play with through many markets on all major games.
From simple match betting markets to individual player markets such as number of wickets or player to top score. You really can bet on almost anything, including in play on innings runs for teams and players or method of next wicket to fall.
Some of the more popular markets to bet on cricket include:
- Outright Tournament/Series Winner
- Match Betting
- Top Scorer
- To Make A Half Century
- To Make A Century
- Total Run Outs
- Highest Opening Partnership
- First Over Score
- First Dismissal Method
There are of course many more markets, including a number of Live Betting opportunities such as next wicket method.
Cricket Live Streaming
A number of online bookmakers now allow you to watch cricket live if you place a qualifying bet.
Dozens of bookies now offer this, with the likes of Ladbrokes, Betway and 888sport all offering live streams across a range of sports.
We highlight all the bookmakers who offer live streaming in our bookmaker reviews, so take a look and see where you can bet on cricket and watch live.
Test Cricket
Cricket is played a variety of different formats with Test cricket considered to be the highest level of the game.
Played at international level, Test cricket is usually played in a group of matches called a series such as the bi-annual Ashes Series between England and Australia.
These first-class cricket matches can last up to five days, and a series normally consists of three to five matches.
Test Cricket matches lend themselves nicely to in-play betting, with most bookies offering plenty of markets to go at during the game, remembering that any games not concluded within an allotted time are drawn.
Maintaining concentration and choosing your moment to score runs is key in Test Cricket, and there have been some truly great batters to grace the game over the years.
Top five run-scorers in men’s Test Cricket
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15,921 runs
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,378 runs
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13,289 runs
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 13,288 runs
- Sir Alastair Cook (England) – 12,472 runs
Top five wicket-takers in men’s Test Cricket
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri-Lanka) – 800 wickets
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 708 wickets
- James Anderson (England) – 640 wickets
- Anil Kumble (India) – 619 wickets
- Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563 wickets
Limited Overs Cricket
The limited overs game sees a greater emphasis on scoring runs in one day internationals and the Twenty20 formats.
Internationally, teams take part in World Cups in both one-day and T20s. The ODI WC is usually every four years and the T20 WC every two, though Covid has messed with the schedule slightly. For example, in T20 cricket, there was a World Cup in late 2022 and another scheduled for late 2024.
Leading run-scorers in men’s ODIs and T20Is are India’s Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (3,299) respectively. The leading wicket-takers are Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (534) and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (117).
Cricket Betting FAQs
How Do I Bet On Cricket?
Betting on cricket is simple and you’ll find just as many bookmakers to play with as you would football betting.
You’ll find all manner of markets, as highlighted above and you can find our favourite bookmakers to play with on our bookmakers page.
Can I Bet On Cricket From India (Via A UK Bookmaker)?
Gambling regulations vary around the world, with many bookmakers only having licences in certain countries and states. However, a number of UK bookmakers do operate in India, including the likes of bet365, Betfair and PaddyPower.
What Cricket Tournaments Can I Bet On?
Bookmakers offer a huge range of cricket betting nowadays, including:
- International Test Series’
- One Day Internationals
- International T20 Fixtures
- Cricket World Cup
- T20 World Cup
- ICC Champions Trophy
- The Ashes
- County Championship
- One Day Cup
- T20 Blast
- IPL
- The Big Bash
Who Has Previously Won The World Cup?
The Cricket World Cup has been in existence since 1975, when the West Indies won the tournament.
More recently however, the trophy has been lifted by the following nations:
- 2019: England
- 2015: Australia
- 2011: India
- 2007: Australia
- 2003: Australia
- 1999: Australia