Cricket, like football, is a sport that started in Britain, but has spread far beyond these shores and is still growing in popularity around the world. There are now more variations of cricket than ever before, with shorter forms of the game proving particularly popular with younger fans.
Whatever form of cricket is played, each brings a wealth of betting opportunities to add further excitement to the game. Whether a 5-day Test Match or a rapid Twenty20 (T20) game, this guide will cover the multitude of cricket betting options available and provide cricket tips and strategies to help with your betting.
Main Cricket Betting Markets
There’s an extensive choice of cricket betting markets on offer. As with many sports, the ‘Match Result’ or selecting the winner of any individual tournament is the most popular betting market, but there are plenty more available, including some that will be settled within just a few minutes of you placing your bet should you so desire.
Match Result
The most popular cricket betting market is the Match Result, in which you simply have to predict which team will win the match, or if it will end in a draw. These markets can be bet on before the match begins, or in-play (during the match itself.)
Tournament & Series Betting
In this bet, you have to decide who the outright winner will be of any competition, whether that be a Cricket World Cup across various formats, a Test Match series, the County Championship or one of the growing numbers of domestic or international competitions across the world (e.g. Indian Premier League Cricket – T20).
These markets are often available months in advance, although you can also bet on them whilst they are ongoing.
Top Batter
In this cricket bet, you wager on who you think will be the top batsman in any specific innings, match, series or tournament, whether overall or for a particular team.
Top Bowler
As with the Top Batter market, here you bet on which bowler you believe will take the most wickets in a specific innings, match, series or tournament, whether overall or for a particular team.
Next Wicket Method
Bet on how the next wicket will fall – bowled, caught, LBW (Leg Before Wicket), run out, stumped or other? You can bet on the 1st wicket method prior to the start of any match.
Team Totals
This is an Over/Under market, where you bet on the run total for one of the two teams in a match. So, for example, in a Test Match between England and Australia, the betting market on England’s 1st innings total might be Over/Under 265.5.
Should you believe that England will surpass that total, you would back the Over market. If you think that Australia will skittle out England for fewer than 265 runs, you will back the Under market.
Opening Partnership Total
This is another Over/Under market, where you bet on the Total Runs the opening batting partnership put on before the fall of the 1st wicket.
For example, in a Test Match between England and Australia, the betting market on the England opening partnership might be Over/Under 35.5. Should you believe that the England openers will put on a partnership higher than that total, you would back the Over market.
If you think the fall of the 1st wicket will be for fewer runs than the spread (i.e. Under 5.5 in this instance), you will back the Under market.
To Win the Toss
A straightforward bet on which team will win the coin toss ahead of the start of the match to choose whether to bat or bowl first. The advantage of this bet is that it will be settled within minutes of you placing the bet should you make it at the appropriate time.
Other Cricket Betting Markets
- First Ball - You can bet on the outcome of the first delivery in a match – Dot Ball, 1 Run, 2 Runs, 4 Runs, 6 Runs, Wicket, No Ball, Wide?
- Next Over Total Runs - You can bet on the total runs scored by the batting team in a specific over in the match. For example, the bet on the total England runs in the 1st Over of the match might be Over/Under 2.5 runs.
- A Hundred to be Scored in the Match - A simple two-way market: Yes or No?
- Highest Individual Score – Another Over/Under market, where you bet on the highest individual batting score in the match, e.g. the spread for an England v Australia Test Match might be Over/Under 110.5.
Cricket Betting Strategies
As with any sport, you can increase your chances of success in cricket betting if you use certain strategies and do your research. Here are a few tips to help you identify good value cricket bets.
Pitch and Weather Conditions
Cricket is a sport where the pitch and weather conditions can be crucial to the match outcome, particularly in the longer form of the game such as a Test Match, where the pitch conditions may worsen over the course of the match and the weather can change dramatically.
Winning the Toss
Heavily connected with the pitch and weather conditions, winning the toss enables the captain to take the best advantage when deciding whether to bat or bowl first.
Home Advantage
Particularly in Test Cricket, home advantage can be a big factor in cricket, with the favourable pitch and weather conditions and home support often proving decisive.
Team and Player Form
As with any sport, the current form of the teams and key players is always worth looking at.
Key Events in the Cricket Calendar
There are plenty of major events in the cricket calendar, so let’s take a look at a few of the most popular.
- The Ashes – The historic Test Match series between England and Australia is always eagerly anticipated and hard-fought.
- IPL - The IPL (Indian Premier League) is played in a T20 format between 10 teams from Indian cities and states. It consists of a 74-game schedule played between March and May each year.
- ODI World Cup – Played over 50 overs, with a more recent 20 overs version too, the ODI World Cup is the pinnacle of international cricket in the one-day format.
Cricket Betting FAQs
Is There a Difference Between Betting on Test Match and One-Day Cricket?
Yes, Test Match cricket is usually more tactical, and the weather and pitch conditions usually play a bigger role. It’s important to understand the difference between the various formats of cricket when betting.
Is It Better to Bet Before the Start of a Cricket Match or In-Play?
It’s entirely at your discretion, although in the longer form of the game (such as Test Match cricket), it can often make sense to see which team bats or bowls first.
How Important is Winning the Toss in Cricket?
In Test Match cricket, winning the toss can sometimes give one team a significant advantage, depending on the state of the pitch, weather forecast and respective team selections.
Can You Bet Live on Cricket Matches?
Yes, all the most reputable bookmakers will offer live cricket betting odds to enable you to bet in-play as the match takes place.
