How to Bet on Cricket: A Beginner's Guide
Written by James Meadowcroft
Cricket betting can feel daunting at first because a single match can run anywhere from three hours to five days, and the markets on offer change depending on the format being played. This guide breaks down the core markets you'll come across, from simple match winner bets through to player-specific markets like top batsman and top bowler, and explains how the format of the game changes what's worth backing. Whether you're watching a T20 Blast fixture or a five-day Test match, understanding these basics will help you read the odds with more confidence.
The most straightforward cricket market is match winner, sometimes called match odds. You're simply picking which of the two teams will win. In formats with no time limit for a result, such as one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20s, bookmakers usually also offer a "tie" or "no result" option, since weather or bad light can end a match without a winner.
Beyond the match winner, most bookmakers offer top batsman and top bowler markets for each team or the whole match. Top batsman betting means picking which player will score the most runs in an innings or match, while top bowler markets are based on wickets taken. These markets reward knowing team form, pitch conditions, and a player's recent scores, rather than just picking the stronger side.
Format matters a great deal in cricket betting. A Test match is played over up to five days and allows for much more fluctuation — a team can be behind for four days and still win, so in-play odds can shift dramatically as the match progresses. An ODI is a single-innings-per-side match capped at 50 overs, giving a result within a day and creating more predictable scoring patterns. A T20 is the shortest format, over in around three hours, where boundaries and momentum swings matter more than long-term batting technique. The same team can look like a completely different betting proposition depending on which format they're playing.
Because cricket matches are so long compared to many other sports, in-play (or "live") betting is especially popular. Odds move constantly as overs are bowled, wickets fall, and required run rates change, giving bettors far more opportunities to find value than a single pre-match bet. Session betting — wagering on how many runs will be scored in a set block of overs — is another popular in-play market, particularly in limited-overs cricket.
As with any form of betting, it's worth setting a budget in advance and treating cricket wagers as entertainment rather than a way to make money. If you ever feel your betting is becoming a problem, free and confidential support is available through BeGambleAware. Betting is for over-18s only.
FAQs
- What is the easiest cricket market for beginners?
- Match winner (match odds) is the simplest market — you're just picking which team wins the match, without needing to follow individual player form.
- Why do cricket odds change so much during a match?
- Cricket matches, especially Tests, can run for days and swing heavily based on weather, pitch conditions and momentum, so in-play odds are updated continuously to reflect the state of play.
- What's the difference between Test, ODI and T20 betting?
- Tests are played over up to five days with no over limit, giving more scope for dramatic swings. ODIs are capped at 50 overs per side, and T20s at 20 overs per side, which tends to make scoring patterns more predictable and matches shorter and faster-paced.
- Can you bet on cricket while the match is in progress?
- Yes — in-play betting is one of the most popular ways to bet on cricket, since the length of matches gives odds plenty of time to move as overs are bowled and wickets fall.