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Cricket has, of late, being shrouded in controversy. From players being, well what shall be call it, high on life, to players accepting money to influence the outcome of the game, and so on and so forth.
But this negative publicity hasn't stopped millions of people from attending cricket games. In fact cricket's popularity has still been growing in leaps and bounds. From the two innings per side in a 5-day test (unlimited overs), to the newer One Day International (ODI) and the even newer, fast growing format of the game, T20 (twenty-twenty). Both being limited overs matches. The support for cricket could be seen with the recently completed ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which was eventually won by the Indian cricket team (Read about the final match played on the 2nd of April 2011 as well as all the results for the pool, quarter-finals, semi-finals matches here.)
Cricket has evolved over the years. With the game originally being the unlimited over format of the game (5-day test), which often used to end in draws between the teams. Leaving many a fan almost feeling disappointed, but still happy that their team didn't loose. Then in January 1971, after three days of the five were washed out by rain, the organisers decided, that instead of sending all the fans home disappointed, that they would arrange a one-off 40 over per side, 8 balls per over, match between England and Austalia (the two teams which were scheduled to play each other in the 5-day test). And just in case you were wondering, Australia won the match by 5 wickets.
The newest form of the game Twenty20, also known as T20, was launched in 2003 by the England Cricket Board (ECB) originally for inter county competitions. Since then is has grown in leaps and bounds and is probably today, the most well known and supported format of the game. Each team has twenty overs of six balls to score as many runs as possible. The main reason this variation has become so popular, is due to the fast pace of the game. An innings usually consists of quite a few boundaries, fours and sixes, that adds a lot of excitement to the game.
Match Betting
This is probably the most well known bet in cricket. Punters place a bet on which team is most likely to win the match.
Highest Opening Partnership
With this bet the punter wagers which team will have the highest opening partnership in the match.
Top Run Scorer
Just as the name suggests, the punter places a bet on the player who he thinks will get the most runs in the match.
1st Innings Lead
Not available in ODI's and T20's matches. The punter places a wager on what the lead will be between the two teams after they have completed their first innings.
Toss Bet
With this bet the punter wagers which captian will win the toss of the coin.
1st Wicket Method
The punter wagers on the way the first wicket will fall, e.g. run out, bowled or caught.
Most Sixes
The punter wagers which team or player will hit the most sixes in the match.
These are just some of the bets available in a cricket match. There are usually quite a few more that bookmakers present, either before or as the match is about to begin, so keep an eye on all the various bets that are available.
