How to Bet on Cricket
There are a multitude of markets available for cricket betting, with many wagers laid on international games and tournaments, as well as on events such as the Indian Premier League.
Cricket has been around in a similar manner to the game as it is known today since Tudor times, when it became popular in Kent, Sussex and Surrey. From there, it grew in popularity, with county games being introduced in the 18th century and the first recorded version of the laws of the game being issued in 1744.
Basic Rules
Nowadays it is a staple of the English summer and enjoys a huge following around the world, particularly in former British colonies such as India and Australia. Matches range from five-day international tests to fast-paced Twenty20 (T20) contests in which each team bats for just 20 overs.
Common Bets
Betting on the winner of a match, whether it is a five-day test or Twenty20 fixture, is popular, with three outcomes possible: home win, away win or draw. Sometimes one day or T20 games are decided by a tie-breaker such as a Super Over, thus eliminating the third possible outcome of the bet. You could also try to predict the winner of a tournament such as the Cricket World Cup.
Due to the large number of runs scored during a match, you can stake on the total amount, wager over/under or even indulge in spread betting if you like, for example betting on the total number of runs during The Ashes. There are also markets for individuals, such as top batsman and top bowler in a match.
Tips and Strategy
The condition of the pitch and the weather can both have a great bearing on the outcome of a game. Dry and dusty pitches help spinners, whereas greener pitches suit batsmen better. In addition, you might want to look at the weather to see how the pitch will change over the course of the match. If a pitch looks like it will break up as the game goes on, that will favour the bowlers and keep the runs down.
A stillness in the air favours swing bowlers, whereas wind or air turbulence caused by the sun helps the batsmen who are facing them. However, too much sun helps the spinners, so it is worth studying the conditions ahead of a big game if you are looking to bet.
Different players have different specialities which make them great at one format of the game and not so good at others. You need to take this into account when backing them in the individual markets. For instance, former England captain Michael Vaughan had a test average of 41.4 with the bat, scoring 18 hundreds, but only managed 27.1 in one day internationals, without notching up a single century. You need to research all aspects of a player’s game before betting on them.
It is worth noting that, because it is a sport that relies on statistics, there is a lot of cricket data available for you to study, which could help you even if you are not an authority on the game.