Cricket is one of the oldest sports in the world, with a history spanning back into the 16th century. Cricket Betting spans back to as early as 1660. There is a newspaper article of a “great match played in Sussex” in 1697 which was 11-a-side and played for high stakes of 50 guineas a side. Evident that cricket betting was rife from the beginning.
Cricket only landed on South African shores however in the early years of the 19th century and has since then become the second most popular sport in South Africa.
Cricket Betting
Cricket betting is a very popular pastime due to the many nuances that are present in the game and can lead to significant changes in the outcome of each match or innings. By understanding these nuances, a cricket betting enthusiast can enjoy great success in his predictions. To explain cricket and cricket betting further, let’s have a look at the different forms that cricket can take:
1. Five day Test Matches usually between international sides and played over a series lasting 5 matches.
2. Fifty overs per side matches, usually between international sides and as part of a tournament such as the World Cup or ICC Trophy.
3. Twenty overs per side matches, also known as the T20, the Twenty20 Cup, the Champions League Twenty20 or the Big Bash in Australia.
4. Smaller local matches such as four day matches between provinces or 45 overs per side between provinces.
Cricket betting markets usually include match winners, test match end, completed match, total runs, session runs and top team batsman.
Key areas to focus on for a cricket betting enthusiast include:
Players – understand what conditions they play well under, their current form and history
Pitch – will the pitch conditions favour batsmen or bowlers and which type of each? What will the run rate be over the course of the innings and the match? How quickly will it deteriorate? These are all vital questions to ask when understanding where to place your bets and which cricket betting markets to choose.
Weather – Cloud cover for example influences swing bowlers, if the sun is out this usually favours the batsman as opposed to a fast bowler and if the sun is really baking, the pitch may harden and crack favouring spinners later in the game. Rain too has a profound effect on the game and often requires the Duckworth Lewis method to be used to reset batting totals.
Cricket betting fans need to closely study stats and past results on each ground to give a better understanding of which team has a more favourable chance.
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