Leave the Bookies Stumped: Cricket Betting Guide

Ahh, the sound of leather on willow - there’s nothing quite like the combination of relaxation and excitement that cricket provides. Harking back to the 16th century, this quintessentially English sport has captivated sports fans for centuries – growing to become a genuine global sporting giant – nowhere more so than in India, where cricket is the biggest sport on the sub-continent, bar none.

Most major sports have experienced a few changes as the decades have passed, but perhaps none more so than cricket. Gone are the days when test matches were the be-all and end-all of the cricketing world. 21st-century fans have a wide array of formats to enjoy – not to mention the explosion in popularity of the women's game.

Any sport enjoyed by millions inevitably draws the attention of the betting public and the ever-willing bookmakers. As such, it is no surprise that betting on cricket is a big deal. With that in mind, here, we present a guide to wagering on wickets, including information on cricket formats, popular bets, and strategies which have served us well over the years.

Types of Cricket Formats

• Test Matches - The marathon of the cricketing world – test matches take place over up to five days. Each side has two innings at bat, with the highest total at the end of those two innings winning the test. The England vs Australia Ashes contest remains the most iconic series of test matches, whilst the English County Championship follows a four-day version of test cricket
• One-Day Matches - As the name suggests, these games are all over in a day. Each team receives 50 overs at bat, with fielding restrictions in place to increase the likelihood of runs. The ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Cricket World Cup follow the one-day format.
• Twenty20 - And for those who crave an even more high-octane format, we have the incredibly popular Twenty20. Each side receives only 20 overs to rack up a score, with fielding positioning restrictions again in play to encourage higher scoring. Lasting an average of around 3 hours, T20 is ideal for those seeking a quick cricketing fix

Most Popular Bets

• Match/Series Winner - Whatever the sport, a bet on a side to win a given match is often the most popular bet, and so it is with cricket. Simply select a side to win a match or test series, place your bet, and settle down to enjoy the action. Note that in One Day and T20, additional innings are played if the sides are tied – taking the draw out of the equation, but draws are possible in Test Matches
• Top Run Scorer - One of the most popular player-specific wagers is a bet on who will score the most runs in a match or test. You can usually bet on who will be the top run scorer overall and who will top score for each team
• Top Wicket Taker - The batsmen don’t hog all of the punting limelight – this bet asks you to predict which bowler will grab the most wickets
• Player of the Match - Whilst not a particularly popular option in football, many cricket punters enjoy betting on who will be named the player of the match

The above represents only a small sample of the cricket bets available. Other options include the highest opening partnership, who will hit the most fours or sixes, or even which team will win the toss

Cricket Betting Strategies

First to the Crease an Advantage in One Day Fixtures

In one-day fixtures, where the latter part of the game will take place under floodlights, we recommend waiting for the result of the toss before placing your bets. Facing a speeding cricket ball is never easy, but it becomes more difficult under the lights – handing an advantage to the bowlers. Whilst not a rule to set in stone, we always lean towards backing the team batting first in this scenario.

Second Best at Night

In a fine example of the vagaries of sports betting, we often completely reverse our strategy in games taking place entirely during daylight hours. Without the need to bat under the lights, the team batting second has the advantage of knowing the target they must reach to win the game. Any edge can be worth its weight in gold, and an ability to follow a batting strategy in line with this target total can only increase a team's chance of winning.

In-Play the Way to Profit

Whenever you are watching a cricket match, it can be tempting to follow the momentum of a game when placing your bets. Say a side loses a couple of wickets in an over - your instinct will be to back the opposing side. However, in our experience, the market often overreacts in situations such as this, and the value often lies with the side seemingly under pressure. Cricket games ebb and flow, and by placing a counterintuitive bet, you may soon find yourself with a great value wager

Cricket Betting: Other Factors

Wait for the Result of the Toss

We have touched on this above, but it is almost always worth waiting for the result of the toss. In general, batting first is an advantage due to the wear and tear of the wicket as the game progresses. Having assessed the merits of the sides, we rarely let the result of a coin toss reverse our decision, but we may reduce our stake if our favoured side loses the toss

Check the Weather Forecast

Inclement conditions can impact all forms of the game. In test matches, days lost to the weather increase the chance of a draw. In shorter formats, you should consider backing the team batting second when storm clouds are on the horizon. In T20 and One-day cricket, the result of weather-curtailed matches is determined by the Duckworth-Lewis method, which effectively uses the runs scored by a team in their innings so far to predict their final total. As such, the team batting second can play far more aggressively if they know the game is likely to be rained off – increasing their per-over-average and chance of winning the game.

Assess the Ground’s Characteristics

Cricket wickets must be 20.12m long and 3.05m wide. However, the size of the actual field varies more widely – usually from 450m to 500m. The smaller the field, the bigger the advantage to the batsman. Wickets may be the same size, but their characteristics can vary – wickets at some grounds favour spin bowlers, whilst bouncier tracks land themselves to a fast-bowling attack. Becoming familiar with the characteristics of the wickets at the major cricket grounds can pay betting dividends.

And Don’t Forget the Form

Last, but not least, the most obvious factor – the current form of the sides. Teams can emerge from a slump in form, but recent performance remains one of the strongest prediction tools. If two sides appear evenly matched on paper, we almost always lean towards the side with the more impressive sequence of recent results.

Pick Your Strokes Wisely to Hit the Bookies for Six

The important thing to remember with cricket (and all other sports) is that you don’t need to bet on every match. By all means, assess the games on offer and consider which align best with the strategies above. If opportunities present themselves, get ready to strike, but if not, simply wait for the next delivery

Other Cricket strategies and guides:

• Cricket In Play Betting Guide
• A Guide to Betting on Player Performance at Cricket
• Cricket Betting: How to Hit the Bookies for Six