Betting Basics - Cricket

Cricket is a sport which continues to grow in popularity, especially with recent changes to some formats of the game which have made watching it more entertaining and has attracted new audiences to the game. How you bet on cricket will depend on which format of the game you are watching. Some markets are more suited to certain formats than others. Let’s take a look at what formats are available and some of the most popular betting markets.

Test Match Cricket

This is the oldest and most traditional format of cricket. Test matches take place usually over 5 days with each team having the chance to bat twice. The team with the most runs from their two completed innings wins. If a team is still batting and therefore hasn’t completed their two innings come the close of play on day 5 the game will end in a draw.

One Day Cricket

As the name suggests these games take place over one day with each team being given 50 overs to bat. The team with the most runs wins. As this is just a 50 over game for there to be a draw the teams would have to end on exactly the same score.

T20 Matches

This format is relatively new in the grand scheme of things and involves two teams doing battle over a 20 over match. As you can imagine this is fast paced and very exciting to watch. Unlike test matches and even 50 over games, there really isn’t long to score runs so you will often see players going for far more aggressive shots than you would see in other formats of the game.

Popular Betting Markets

Across all formats of the game, you will get similar markets.

Match winner – A popular market and one most bettors will be familiar with; you are simply choosing which team you think will win the game. The format does have an effect on this as draws are far more common in test matches compared to one day and T20 matches.

Top Batter – This market is where you select which player you think will score the most runs in the game.

Top Bowler – Here you are choosing which of the bowlers will end with the most wickets taken in the match.

Total Runs Over/Under – This market is very dependant on the format you are watching. Test Matches with a slower pace but longer innings will often lead to more runs being scored, where as a T20 match has far less opportunity for a team to score runs.

BettorMind Advice

Research – Whether you are new to cricket or an experience fan, researching ahead of your bets is really important. So many things can affect the outcome of a cricket match the work you put into your research will give you the best opportunity to make the right decision for your bets.

Track results – With matches taking place all over the world, keeping an eye on how teams are performing and whether they perform better in different formats of the game will give you valuable information when it comes to your betting.

Planning – As mentioned cricket takes place all over the world and this can mean many games take during the night in the UK. If you are having a bet on these markets you will want to plan them ahead of time so you can enjoy having your bet without having to be up during the night.

Cricket continues to grow in popularity and with so many variants to the sport there is something for everyone. If you are thinking of having a bet, please take a look at our advice above and other content at BettorMind to help you get the most enjoyment from your betting.