There’s something about the blend of athletic actions and chess-like strategies that make cricket one of the most enjoyed sports in the UK. Said to have originated in the South-East of England, cricket has become a sport discipline where great countries vie for trophies at the international level.
Cricket may not be the most popular sport, but it’s much enjoyed by over 100 countries worldwide linked to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Most participating countries have their T20 leagues including smaller leagues like the Lichfield Cricket League. It might interest you to know the various types of betting cricket has to offer and most especially, what tournaments to look out for. Let’s dive into it!
Betting Markets
If you’re one of those who enjoy cricket and would like to do more than be a spectator, we’ve done our research on the major betting markets you can get in the UK.
Below we’ll be discussing the most popular online cricket bets that you can find with different sportsbooks in the UK. While there is a variety of cricket betting markets, be sure to settle for the betting odds with top UK sports betting sites.
Match Winner
With this market, you are placing a bet on the team that you feel will probably lead the game and win. In all sports bets, this market can be considered the easiest to wager on as it calls for you to choose among only two options.
Tournament Winner
If there is an ongoing big cricket tournament such as the Cricket World Cup, IPL, Twenty20, or the World Cup, punters can stand a chance of predicting the team which will go on to win the tournament. This market is generally one with decreasing odds when a competition progresses, it is highly recommended to place a bet on it as soon as you feel confident.
Coin Toss
A coin toss is usually done at the start of each game to settle certain aspects regarding the side of each team on the field and the team to start the game. In cricket, a coin toss tells you which team will bat first, and which will bowl first. Essentially, this type of bet means you are trying to guess correctly which of the captains will win the coin toss. Though this market is open for punters, there’s usually little to gain since the probability is 50⁄50.
Top Batsman
If you can reckon which player is likely to score the most runs in a match, the top batsman wager may be for you. There are 11 players in a cricket team, each having a distinct run rate which you can use for this kind of bet. This market may be quite difficult to get right and typically comes with huge odds you may want to try.
Top Bowler - Top Wicket - Taker Betting
In cricket, punters can also try predicting which of the players will take the most wickets. Like the previous market, the odds for the top bowler are usually very generous though the right ticket may not be easy to predict.
The Most Sixes
When ODI and T20 formats are concerned, the batsmen try to hit the ball out of the boundary to score as many runs as possible. Sixes are scored if the ball passes over the boundary in the air without bouncing and then touches the ground beyond it. This gives gamblers a chance to wager on which team will get the most sixes.
Highest Individual Score
This is like the top batsman bet, but the key difference is that the bet is placed on the player that you think will score the most runs out of both teams. It is usually hard to get right and has high odds.
Betting Tips
It’s relatively easy to go betting on cricket online when you can count on the best tips from cricket experts. These tips are usually brought up after scrupulous analysis of all aspects of the game from squads to the venue, and team statistics. We aim to provide tips that will help you make well-informed decisions when going for available cricket odds.
While winning is not a guarantee when betting on cricket matches, the unpredictable nature of the sport is what makes the odds interesting. Uncontrollable factors like weather and the conditions of the pitch can impact a match’s result and must be considered when you apply betting tips. The toss can also have a major impact on which team will top, so our experts consider many factors when choosing which wagers to recommend.
Best Tournaments
At this point, you’ve got an idea of the type of betting markets open for cricket games. It’s probably the right time to know which cricket tournaments are the best to bet on.
ICC Cricket World Cup Betting
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has the biggest cricket men’s international tournament known as the Cricket World Cup. Not only is this one of the most important events on the sports calendar, but it is also thought to be the 4th largest sporting event.
It is a one-day tournament, occurring every 4 years with a qualification phase that takes place over 3 years. Participating teams meet in a single round-robin format for the group stage after which the first 4 teams qualify for the semi-finals. If you would like to place a few bets on the Cricket World Cup, you can find the best sportsbook in our reviews.
ICC World Test Championship Betting
The ICC World Test Championship is the most recent league competition launched by ICC in 2019. It steps in, in response to ICC’s desire to have each cricket format represented by a top-level tournament.
Each season has 27 series spread over 69 matches. Its first edition from 2019–2021 was won by New Zealand who are currently defending their title for the 2021-23 season.
IPL Betting
The Indian Premier League abbreviated IPL is one of the top sporting cricket events and the world’s most popular cricket league. It is an annual T20 cricket tournament that has 10 teams playing for the title of IPL champion with 14 games played equally at home and away.
In the league phase, teams meet in a double round-robin after which the top 4 teams go for the playoffs. The best two meet for the first qualifying playoff. The winners get a ticket for the IPL final while the losers get a second chance to qualify for the final by playing in the second qualifying playoff. The two lower teams of the 4 play a knockout game where the emanating winners meet the losers of the first qualifying playoff; this is the second qualifying playoff game. The IPL final is then played between the victorious teams of both playoffs.
Asia Cup
This cup was first held in 1984, every two years, alternating between ODI and T20 formats, with the winning team crowned the cricket champions in Asia. The 2016 edition was first played as the T20I and served as a preparatory tournament for the year’s T20 World Cup.
Overall, the most successful country has been India with a record of one T20 and six ODI which include the 2022 cup. They’re seconded by Sri Lanka who have five titles.
The Ashes Betting
The Ashes is a Test cricket series that sees England and Australia contest every year. It began over a century ago and has built a strong cricket rivalry spirit between both nations.
It is held every two years with the venues alternating between the two countries. Each series is made of 5 test cricket matches after which the winner takes home the Ashes urn.
ICC T20 World Cup Betting
This is a highly anticipated cricket tournament that occurs every 2 years its current season began on October 16th and will run till November 13th, 2022.
For the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the top 10 full members of the ICC and 6 new ICC members from the qualifiers make up the list of 16 participants. This cricket tournament could be the ideal starting point for your sports betting experience in one of the UK’s most enjoyed sports.