All Cricket
How to Bet on Cricket – Cricket Betting Guide, Tips & Strategies
Cricket is popular worldwide, from Australia and India to England and the West Indies. Cricket fans enjoy multiple game formats, with 20-over domestic action alongside traditional 5-day tests played over a series of up to 5 matches.
Given the lasting appeal of cricket and the excitement of each format, there are many different ways to bet on cricket. Read on for betting tips and check out your options at Stake Sportsbook .
History of Cricket
Cricket is a quintessentially English game. By the middle of the 17th century, village cricket teams had been established, following the evolution of a game played with bat and ball, initially in Saxon England.
In the middle of the 18th century, the first cricket laws were written up and established, and England standardised the game. The laws introduced the likes of leg-before-wicket, the third stump on the wicket, and a maximum bat width.
The laws were initially drawn up by the Star and Garter Club members, who later established the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), England’s most prestigious club.
As Britain’s imperial interests expanded to different parts of the world, cricket became a global game. It was introduced to the West Indies, India, and Australia sometime in the late 18th century, and it became a popular game in South Africa at the start of the 19th century.
The first-ever international cricket game was between the US and Canada, and it was played in New York in 1844. In 1877, a touring team of English cricketers played two matches in Australia, essentially giving birth to the tradition of test matches between the two nations.
Australia’s subsequent visit to England in 1882 is the starting point of The Ashes - one of cricket’s most-watched events. From 1900 onwards, cricket became truly global, and the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) was founded in 1909 to standardise the sport. England, Australia, and South Africa were founding members of the ICC before New Zealand, the West Indies, and other members were added.
Today, cricket has come a long way since its inception, becoming one of the world's most popular and widely played games.
Fans can enjoy international test cricket, which is usually played over five days a match, with three to five matches in a series, as well as one-day international matches and 20-20 competitions, where each team plays for 50 and 20 overs, respectively.
Cricket Rules & Basics
The rules of cricket are complex and change depending on the game’s format. However, it’s possible to gain a basic understanding of the rules of cricket.
Primarily, cricket is a game contested between 2 teams of 11 players.Games comprise at least one inning where each team takes turns batting and fielding. The fielding team nominates a bowler to try to hit the stumps while the batter attempts to protect the stumps and score runs for their team.
There are various ways that a team can dismiss the batter. This includes a run out where a batter can have his wicket removed when not in his crease, and this can often be quite comical.
Alternatively, a batter can be clean bowled where the ball ricochets into the stumps or via LBW (leg-before-wicket) which will depend on the line and length of the ball and the batter’s position.
Runs can also be scored. This can be by hitting the boundary with and without the ball bouncing before clearing the rope (four or six) crossing over and running between the wicket at the non-striker’s end.
If the bowler hits the stumps and causes the bails to fall, it results in a wicket, and the batter must leave the field to be replaced by the next in line. However, if the batter strikes the ball with the bat, they can score runs to add to their team’s total.
To claim runs, the batters on the field run between the wickets. They can also hit the ball to the boundary for four runs or over the boundary rope without bouncing for six runs. The fielding team can also claim a wicket by catching the batter’s shot on the full or by bowling onto the batter’s leg in front of the stumps (this is known as leg-before-wicket - LBW).
It’s also possible to remove a batter with a run-out, which sees the fielding team hit the stumps with the ball while the batters are running between the wickets. The batting team continues to bat until the fielding team claims ten wickets.
They then switch places, and the team that goes to bat second must try and score more runs than the team that batted first. Ultimately, the winners are the team with the most runs at the end of the innings.
Major Cricket Events
Cricket is a game enjoyed by the masses, with numerous different formats played worldwide in the form of leagues and knockout competitions. For instance, some of the most popular cricket events, leagues, and tournaments you can bet on at Stake.com include:
T20 World Cup : Fast-paced and frenetic, the T20 World Cup is one of the most popular international cricket events on the calendar.
International Tests : The newly established ICC World Test Championship is competed by nations like India, New Zealand , England, Bangladesh , Pakistan and South Africa throughout the year.
Big Bash League : Australia’s leading T20 tournament is hugely popular with domestic cricket fans Down Under.
Simulated Reality : If you don’t want to wait for a major cricket tournament to get underway, you can bet on simulated reality cricket at Stake.com.
IPL : The Indian Premier League is one of the most exciting T20 leagues in the world, attracting the best players from every continent.
Cricket World Cup : Using the 50-over format, the World Cup comes around every four years, won most recently by Australia, who beat the hosts India in a pulsating final.
Popular Events in 2025
Cricket is essentially a year-long sport with plenty of Tests, ODIs, and T20s take place. We have taken a look at the calendar and pinpointed the key matches/series to watch over the next 12 months:
January 2025
Test: Australia v India
Test: South Africa v Pakistan
ODI: New Zealand v Sri Lanka
May 2025
ODI: England v West Indies
T20: England v West Indies
June/July 2025
Test: England v India
Test: England v India
September 2025
T20: England v South Africa
November/December 2025:
Test: The Ashes (Australia vs England)
How to Bet on Cricket & Betting Options
Let’s look at the different types of bets you can place on cricket at Stake.com:
Moneyline (Head-to-Head)
The easiest cricket bet to place is the moneyline , a head-to-head bet. For instance, if South Africa is playing England in an ODI (one-day-international), you can pick the team you think will win the fixture.
Once your bet is placed, you can sit back and enjoy the action without worrying about the rate at which runs are scored or which player scores the most runs. The only thing that matters in a cricket moneyline bet is which team wins.
Team w/ top batter/bowler
A bet unique to cricket is placing a wager on which team will have the top batter or bowler in a fixture. It’s like a prop bet . A bowler might finish a test match with eight wickets, while a batter might score an impressive 190 runs over two innings to finish as the highest-scoring batter in the test.
Your job with this bet type is not to select the player who will perform the best - you only need to bet on the team that the leading batter or bowler plays for in the match or series.
Total fours (over/under)
No matter the format of cricket, boundaries are the most exciting feature. When a player hits a four, the ball runs to the boundary line without being stopped by the fielding team.
You can bet on how many fours a team will hit in a match, selecting over or under the line set by the sportsbook.
Total sixes (over/under)
Sixes are common in ODIs and T20 matches and are the most exciting shots in cricket. A batter hits a six when the ball does not bounce before passing over the boundary rope Again, you can bet on whether over or under a specific number of sixes will be scored in the game.
Most fours and most sixes
You can also place a bet on which team or player you think will score the most fours and sixes. This is a form of proposition bet and is a great way to build out your cricket betting slip.
Outright betting
With outright betting , this involves taking a longer term view with your wagers. So, if you were betting on the Ashes between Australia and England, you could bet on the winner of the series.
Odds will move in the months and days before the event. In terms of value betting and finding expected value , it can often be good to place money on the underdog rather than wager a lot on the short-priced favourite.
Live Streaming Cricket & Live Betting on Stake Sportsbook
Stake.com is the best place to live stream cricket and other sports without a paid subscription. Simply sign into your Stake.com account and check which upcoming cricket fixtures you can live stream, including tests and T20 matches.
You can place live bets during the match. Given the length of cricket games, particularly tests, live betting is a great way to capitalise on what is happening out on the field. You can bet on things like the fall of the next wicket and the next boundary.
Cricket Betting Strategies & Tips
Here are some tips to help you successfully bet on cricket:
Understand the format: The key to betting on cricket is understanding the format of the game. Some games are played with 20 overs, while others are played with 50. Others are tests, which are played with unlimited overs across five days. So, knowing the format of the game is important as it will influence betting metrics like runs and wickets.
Know the rules: While you don’t have to be an expert, you need a rudimentary understanding of cricket rules before betting. Read up on how games are played over at least two innings and the format of batting and bowling as a minimum.
Find value with prop bets: Prop bets are a great option as matches are so long, and various aspects can come into play. For instance, find great value when betting on things like the number of runs a particular batter will score or the economy rate of your favourite bowler.
Access promotions: At Stake.com, we run regular sports betting promotions for you to access throughout the cricket season. Take advantage of these promotions to boost your bankroll before betting on cricket. If you’re an avid sports bettor, you can also learn about the exclusive promotions via the Stake VIP Club .
Watch as much live cricket as possible - To spot trends and patterns in game, we suggest tuning in so you can gain better insights on how certain teams perform, especially when the stakes are high.
How to Deposit Funds to Bet on Cricket & Bet Responsibly
You can place cricket bets at Stake Sportsbook by depositing in a local fiat currency or via cryptocurrencies. Right now, you can play at Stake.com with the following local currencies – ARS, CLP, BRL, JPY, INR, and PEN.
Depending on your preferences, you can also view your balance in numerous other currencies too.You can find more information about our local currency options on our community forum, as well as our local currency payment guide.
To place cricket bets with crypto, you can easily deposit crypto units into your account using coins like BTC , ETH , Doge , SOL and LTC . You can find the full list of available cryptocurrencies on our blog, as well as our recommendations and guide for choosing the right coin for you.
Stake offers live support to sports bettors via our customer support staff for help with issues like depositing and withdrawing units and more. Moonpay and Swapped.com support multiple payment options, including Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others, to buy cryptocurrency to place cricket bets.
For a full list of supported payment options, please refer to the Moonpay documentation .
Learn how to use the Stake Vault to securely store your funds online for all future bets at Stake Sportsbook. You can also read our crypto security guide to learn more about keeping your funds safe and secure at Stake.com.
Please always remember to bet within your means and gamble responsibly . You can find out how to stay in control with our Stake Smart guidelines . You can also use our monthly budget calculator to determine how much of your disposable income to allocate to gambling.
Why Bet on Cricket at Stake.com?
Stake Sportsbook is the home of cricket betting, with markets and betting options for all domestic leagues, international tests, and major tournaments. We offer great value odds, monthly bonuses , and unrivalled live streaming of cricket action, enabling you to watch and bet on all cricket matches you want to engage with.
If you want more details about betting on cricket and other sports at Stake.com, refer to our helpful online sports betting guide before getting started.