Here at NetBet, we’ve got a whole load of great markets for sports betting, and we offer some of the best Cricket odds around. We don’t just take bets on individual matches, we offer online betting on plenty of deeper markets on our UK betting site. If you want to place any sport bet, here’s a quick guide on how exactly you should go about it.
What is Cricket?
Cricket is a variation of a bat-and-ball game contested by two teams of 11, traditionally on a large oval field surrounded by a boundary. At the centre of the pitch is a 20 metre rectangular wicket, with three stumps at either end supporting bails. The batting team has a batsman at either end of the wicket at any given time, whilst the fielding team are spread around the field and have one designated bowler.
The aim of the bowler is to get the opposing batsman out in a number of different ways, or limit the number of runs they are able to score. The aim of the batting team is to score as many runs as possible within a certain number of overs (six deliveries) or before they lose all 10 wickets. There are many different roles within each team that continue to alter and develop as the game of cricket changes over time.
There are a few different forms of the game, each with differing time frames and tactics. Twenty20 is a short game (120 deliveries) played much more aggressively by both teams, lending itself to becoming a more entertaining spectator sport. One Day cricket matches are played over 40 or 50 overs throughout a day, whereas a traditional Test match takes place over five days. Each game is contested at international level, with World Cups the pinnacle of the shorter formats.
Different nations have enjoyed periods of dominance in different formats of the game, but Australia are arguably the most well-rounded cricketing country of late. They have won the One Day Cricket World Cup five times (three more than next best India and West Indies), are the reigning Twenty20 World Cup champions, and are world number one in the Test rankings.
History of Cricket
It is believed that cricket may have been invented in the Saxon or Norman times, and was created as a pastime by children in south-east England. It wasn’t until the early 17th century that there is mention of the game being played by adults. Cricket is thought to be an evolution of bowls, and first became popular in villages, where people would congregate to play and watch. Throughout the 1600s the game began to spread, until the first cross-county game was contested in 1709.
The first ever cricket ruleset was written in 1744 and amended in 1774, making major changes to the game that include adding a third stump and the introduction of leg before wicket (LBW) as a method of dismissal. These laws were written by members of the Star and Garter Club, many of which went on to establish Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – the group that oversees the rules to this very day.
As the English began to travel and colonise, the sport of cricket began to spread across the globe. The game was introduced to North America, the West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa, many places in which the game is still incredibly popular today.
Perhaps the most historic fixture in cricket is ‘The Ashes’, contested by England and Australia. When England were beaten by their rivals for the first time on home soil in 1882, the press mocked that cricket was dead and that the English must recover the ashes. This fixture between two of the world’s best cricketing nations continues biannually to this day.
How do I bet on Cricket?
Here at NetBet, we have a wide variety of markets available for all cricket matches on the sporting calendar. Here are some of the markets you can choose from on our site.
- Winner – Place a bet on which team will win the match.
- To win the toss – Bet on which team will win the coin toss, thus giving them the choice whether to field or bat first.
- 1st wicket method – Bet on the first method of dismissal, eg. bowled, LBW, caught, run out etc.
- Top batsman – Predict which batsman will score the most runs in the match for either team.
- Top bowler – Predict which bowler will take the most wickets in the match for either team.
- Player of the match – Bet on who you think will be named player of the match.
- Over/under fall of 1st wicket – Bet on whether the first wicket will be taken before or after a certain number of runs have been acquired by the batting team.
- A 50/100 scored in the match – Bet on whether or not you think a 50 or 100 will be scored in the match.
- Over/under highest individual score – Predict whether you think the highest individual batting total will exceed a specified number of runs.
- 1st over total runs – Bet on how many runs will be scored in the first six deliveries of an innings.
However, these are just 10 of the markets we offer. Occasionally, we might also choose to Boost a price which you can find at our Promotions page.
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.
