It’s a sport that Australia dominated for so many years but while the current national team aren’t the world beaters they once were, cricket remains a solid focus for the Australian betting community. Away from the most popular sports such as soccer, the biggest events carry great interest, along with one of the biggest sets of side markets that you could possibly want.
So, if you have yet to get involved with what was once considered as Australia’s national sport, here’s what you can look forward to.
The Markets
Like all sports, cricket betting starts with the result and at this point, it’s important to keep in mind that there are three very distinct formats of the game. In the modern era, we have first class cricket – including test matches – plus 50 over games and T20.
It’s good to make that distinction now because the result markets differ for each form. In first class and test match cricket, it’s possible to have three options – a win for either side plus the draw but in limited overs games, the draw is taken out of the equation.
So, with a four or five day game, you can factor in external issues such as weather and decide if the draw is worth considering. With 50 over and T20 matches, it’s very simple and all that the bettor has to do is weigh up the strengths of the two sides on show and decide which of them is going to win it.
Side Bets
Most bookies find that the most popular side bets are for individual batsmen and there are a number of options within these markets. Punters can take each team and decide which player is going to score the most runs out of the 11 on show or alternatively, they can guess the overall highest run scorer in the match.
Some bookmakers have more choice than others so you may find that a certain outlet will let you speculate as to whether a certain player will score a hundred in the game. Others will go even more niche and put two players from either side up against each other and the bettor needs to stake on which one they think will score most runs in the match.
Similar markets exist for top bowler where the customer can choose from the list of players in the match and decide which one will return the best bowling figures for his side.
More Obscure
Since the advent of T20 cricket, there is more choice when it comes to side markets than ever before and some of the choices are really very niche. Not all bookmakers will publish options for these so, if they sound like they are going to be important to you, look for an outlet such as bet365 that quotes for more side markets than the majority of operators.
The markets in question could include Man of the Match, Team to Score Most Sixes, Team to Score Most Fours, Total Sixes, Team to be ahead at the end of the Powerplay and, you may even be able to bet on the toss. For the bigger matches, some bookies may have over 50 betting options available so there really is more choice for the punter than ever.
Best Bookies for Cricket
If you’re going to take your cricket betting seriously then it pays to choose your bookmaker wisely. All of the following can be great betting site for Aussie bettors for the reasons stated.
LuxBet
This is a popular option for many Aussies because they are an Australian company that likes to look out for their own players. They’ve been around since 2008 too so there is some trust built up that naturally leads on from that kind of longevity.
Players can trade in $AUD and LuxBet look to provide good choice for sports that are popular with Aussie bettors. Cricket is included in that list and while the entire range of markets may not be quite as big as that of Bet365, there is a good set including all the popular options such as result, top batsman and top bowler. Prices are also among the most competitive for any Aussie-specific bookmaker.
Unibet
While they have their origins in Scandinavia and have a big focus on markets that are popular in mainland Europe, Unibet have expanded their coverage in recent years to become a trusted cricket bookie. They even signed up a lucrative sponsorship deal when they got behind the Caribbean Premier League recently and that just underlines how seriously they take this sport.
Unibet are another company to have agreed an Australian license and they frequently list a sign up bonus plus a number of ongoing offers in a range of markets. The choice of side bets is an extensive one and once again, the prices for all cricket betting options are a match for any competitor.
CrownBet
Having entered the market in 2015, CrownBet don’t possess the same level of history as LuxBet but they have built up a good reputation with Aussie punters in a relatively short space of time. There is no welcome deal for new players but there are lots of ongoing offers with free bets up for grabs in a number of sports.
Acca boosts can be found too and cricket can be one of the beneficiaries of these offers, particularly when the big events such as the Ashes or the Big Bash come around.
William Hill
If you want an established brand but are happy to look away from Aussie focused names, William Hill is simply one of the oldest around. They’ve been around for decades and are known for trust and fair play and, as far as cricket is concerned, they simply provide great odds and a wide set of betting markets.
Other popular cricket bookies for Australian sports fans include Ladbrokes, 10Bet, Betfair and PalmerBet. Once again, all of those give a good mix of choice and value with lots of markets to look for and some top value in each one.
Cricket’s popularity is set to grow even further, particularly in the T20 format where major tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and Australia’s very own Big Bash are due to get even bigger in the years that lie ahead. Betting on cricket will grow at the same time so it’s important to know which markets are available and which bookies provide the best home for your money.