This guide shares an in-depth introduction to the various formats of cricket, the top 10 best cricket betting apps in the UK, the criteria we used to qualify these betting apps and finally, wrap up with details of the top cricket competitions and tournaments you should keep an eye on for an exciting and rewarding cricket betting experience.
With a following of over 2.5 billion, cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. Here in the UK, it is among the most followed sports. There is also a huge passion for betting on the game among UK punters.
Cricket is played in a limited number of countries — 106 to be specific — compared to football’s 200 countries. However, with these countries well spread across the continent, cricket punters will always have a variety of tournaments, competitions, leagues, and matches to bet on all year round.
Since its inception in southern England late in the 16th century, the sport has experienced numerous changes and tremendous growth. The once elitist sport played for enjoyment during summer afternoons is today a competitive sport with substantial sponsorship and highly-rated players valued at millions.
For the cricket bettors, betting has moved from placing wagers in physical shops, with limited choice in bookies, to doing so on the go via mobile betting apps developed and run by numerous sportsbooks.
To make it to our rank of the top cricket betting apps in the UK here are the five key features we considered and evaluated.
The provision of a smooth betting-on-the-go experience is indispensable in this digital era. Therefore, the best cricket betting apps must ensure ease in logging in to your account, navigating through the app interface to locate betting markets and placing your wagers on Android or iOS devices.
Furthermore, a mobile-optimised website is essential for punters who do not want to download betting apps but want to bet via browsers on their mobile devices.
We also expect top-tier cricket betting apps to keep punters constantly engaged by sending notifications and messages to alert them on the latest available promotions and wager opportunities.
To be a leading cricket betting app, it is paramount to guarantee punters that there’s a wide range of markets to place their wagers. The variety of betting markets available for cricket games greatly influences our ranking of top cricket betting apps available in the UK. Some of the most popular markets we expect to see offered include:
We want you to take home the biggest payout possible from your bets, so we recommend cricket betting apps with the most competitive odds in the market. In addition to high betting odds, we look out for betting apps that offer regular pre-match fixed odds, speedily make adjustments to odds for live betting, and provide punters with enhanced odds for specific outcomes on the biggest cricket matches and competitions.
To be above the competition as a cricket betting app, you need to attract punters with complimentary betting features that elevate their betting experience. Key complimentary cricket betting features that we look out for when ranking the top cricket betting apps include:
The thrill of placing wagers on matches as they are ongoing is unbeatable. This is why our top cricket betting apps must offer live betting to punters for an amazing betting experience. Beyond offering live betting, we look out for cricket betting apps that also cover a wide range of competitions.
The opportunity to watch live cricket matches at no extra cost through your favourite betting app is a complimentary feature that a lot of punters appreciate. This is a key feature that the best cricket betting apps in the UK must offer.
The cashout feature gives punters the power to make the most out of their wagers by taking their winnings out at any point of a match. The best cricket betting sites allow punters to make the biggest profit possible, even when their wagers shorten in price.
To be listed in our top cricket betting apps in the UK, offering punters bonuses, promotions, and exclusive offers is a must. We love cricket betting apps that entice first-time users with a welcome offer in the format of either free bets or bet credits.
For existing customers, we are a fan of bookies that allow punters to claim bonuses, have running promotions for big cricket competitions, and curate regular exclusive offers for loyal customers. To crown it all, the best cricket betting apps outline simple and clear terms and conditions for these bonuses, promotions, and offers so that punters do not have to deal with any form of being shortchanged.
Looking for the best cricket betting apps in the UK? You have come to the right place. Compare the pros and cons of our top-rated cricket betting apps.
Founded in 2006, Betway has created a strong reputation as a sportsbook and a sports sponsor. The bookie heavily sponsors Cricket Australia and West Indies.
The sportsbook is also notably the inaugural title sponsor of South Africa’s T20 cricket league, founded in 2022 and officially kicked off in January 2023.
When it comes to what it does for cricket punters, Betway has the largest sets of betting markets for cricket games available. In addition, punters enjoy high odds with the bookmaker, who also offer numerous price boosts and promotions.
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Bet365 is known as the home of live betting within the betting community. Entering the online gambling world in 2000, this multinational bookie has become a powerhouse with a huge customer base due to the impeccable betting experience offered to punters.
Having a strong brand presence in both UK and Australia, two countries that are among the top cricket fans, it is no wonder that Bet365 is the go-to bookmark for cricket punters.
The bookie offers impressive coverage, live streaming, and live betting of all major competitions and leagues. At Bet365, cricket punters also enjoy competitive odds and a wide range of markets to make wagers on.
Furthermore, Bet365 will often publish their cricket betting odds earlier than other bookies giving punters early access to betting.
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The Irish sportsbook powerhouse Paddy Power is popular among cricket punters all over the UK. The bookie is popularly known for its Power Prices, the brand's version of enhanced odds. These special odds are available to punters and greatly boost the value of their wagers.
At Paddy Power, punters are treated to comprehensive coverage of all major cricket competitions and tournaments and the best odds available. Paddy Power is also known for availing ante-post markets for big cricket competitions such as T20 Blast, Sheffield Shield, and The Ashes well in advance.
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Ladbrokes is one of the longest-standing bookmarkers, having been established in 1866. The bookie has built a solid customer base through the years thanks to its exceptional betting services. The sportsbook offers cricket punters numerous offers, extensive betting markets, and competitive odds for an all-rounded cricket betting package.
Furthermore, the bookmarker builds customer trust and loyalty by regularly sending them one-off free sports bets. Ladbrokes also attracts cricket punters who are fans of the smaller English cricket competitions as it gives them similar coverage to the major cricket competitions and tournaments.
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Originally established in Sweden as an online betting community, Unibet has grown to become a reputable sportsbook and a favourite among punters. The bookie matches fans' expectations with great odds, extensive markets, and regular promotions.
Unibet also offers coverage of cricket matches globally through its Unibet TV, which is available to punters with funded accounts. Beyond offering cricket betting, Unibet substantially supports the sport by sponsoring some English county teams, such as Essex and Warwickshire and sponsoring tournaments.
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Highly acclaimed for its technological prowess, Parimatch offers one of the best user interfaces among the top betting apps in the UK. The bookie provides great odds, extensive markets to cricket punters, and immersive cricket betting analysis as a bonus feature.
This lets punters better understand the players and teams in competitions before placing bets. Ultimately you have higher chances of taking home wins when your wagers are backed by information and analyses.
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Betfred is a popular bookie, having been in the gambling scene since the 1960s as a small chain of betting shops.
Other than years of experience in the industry, Betfred is specifically popular for its enticing and exclusive promotions and offers on major sports.
For instance, the bookie's exclusive #PickYourPunt bet builder service covers England international cricket matches allowing you to win up to £10 in free bets if your #PickYourPunt loses. In addition to such enticing offers, Betfred offers punters numerous markets with competitive odds for match betting and side bets during pre-match and in-play betting.
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BetVictor is possibly the best betting app for UK cricket punters who enjoy the game irrespective of the teams' popularity. BetVictor takes the crown when it comes to covering cricket competitions on a global scale, from major international tournaments and domestic competitions to even the smaller series.
The bookie provides a healthy variety of betting markets, great betting odds consistently, and a variety of ongoing promotions to keep cricket punters excited and engaged.
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Founded in 2008, what 888Sport lacks in years in the industry, it makes up for with deliberate efforts to offer punters a good betting experience. The bookie matches up to major bookie's welcome promotions and even offers enhanced betting odds for cricket matches.
The odds provided by 888Sport are great, especially in side cricket bets. You can also expect a good variety of betting markets to place your wager.
The bookie goes a step further by providing punters with the option of finding easy bets quickly through the top cricket bets section. This feature allows you to see the most popular cricket wagers being placed, making it easier to place your wagers.
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Last on our list of the top 10 best cricket betting apps in the UK is Coral, a sportsbook established back in 1926. Coral went online in 1999 making it one of the well-known names in the UK among punters. The bookie has upheld its reputation for offering competitive odds and numerous markets for both pre-match and live betting over the years.
Cricket punters are also guaranteed full coverage of all cricket events — from county championships to the world cup series.
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To enjoy betting on cricket, it is important to understand how the game is played. There are three formats of the game recognised internationally; Test Cricket, One Day International Cricket (ODI), and Twenty20 (T20) Cricket. We will explain how these three formats of cricket competitions are played and how to bet on them.
Test cricket was the first form of cricket played; today, it is regarded as the highest level of the sport.
Test cricket matches feature two teams competing against each other, session after session, across four innings — two for each team — for 5 days. In the 5 days, the teams will have participated in a total of 15 sessions — each day comprises a morning, afternoon, and evening session — and competed through 90 overs.
As you can tell, the nature of test cricket matches is demanding and exhaustive physically and mentally to the players, hence the name “Test”. It is a real test of their resilience, tenacity, and prowess in the game.
The culmination of a test competition is usually either a win for one team or a draw for both teams. Currently, there are only 12 teams with the status required to play in test matches: England, Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
When betting on test cricket, it is important to take into account that the matches occur over 5 days. A lot could change from day one to day five that could influence the performance of the players — from weather conditions to natural wear and tear of the pitch to the physical strain on the players.
ODI cricket tournaments offer fans punters a full day of numerous runs, a lot of wickets, a ton of excitement, and a champion at the end of the day. Originally designed to appeal to the younger generation that was not willing to go through 4 to 5 days of cricket games to know the winner, the One Day International format today appeals to many cricket fans regardless of age.
One Day International cricket matches involve two teams battling it out through 50 overs each in an uninterrupted game of up to nine hours. The matches are fast-paced, action-packed, and entertaining all through.
Teams that have ODI cricket status include the 12 with Test status teams and an additional eight that hold a temporary ODI status. These additional eight are Scotland, Netherlands, USA, Papua New Guinea, UAE, Namibia, Nepal, and Oman.
T20 cricket is the newest and shortest format of cricket competitions internationally recognised today. Dubbed the fast and furious version of cricket, the format is gaining popularity exponentially and quickly becoming a fan favourite. The format brings together two teams that play 20 overs each with an official 10-minute gap between innings.
The matches take three hours to complete, giving fans and punters results and excitement much quicker than the ODI and Test competitions.
Since the introduction of the Twenty20 format by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003, the competitions in this format have grown from just the international tournaments to almost all major cricket-playing nations hosting their own tournaments annually. This has greatly increased the sport's popularity and created more betting opportunities for cricket punters.
Though not among the primary internationally recognised cricket formats, the 100-ball format is also gaining considerable popularity. With this format, the matches take a slightly shorter duration than T20 matches — about two and a half hours. As the name implies, the format brings together teams that compete through 100 balls each in their innings. Contrary to the fielding team changing ends every six balls, the fielding team changes ends every 10 balls.
Now that you fully understand betting on the cricket sport, it's time to get into the best cricket betting apps. The best cricket apps offer the best odds, numerous bonuses, bet builders, cricket specials and the opportunity to cash out whenever.
Cricket competitions and tournaments are widely-attended and attract millions of viewers worldwide. Here’s a list of the top seven cricket competitions and tournaments to bet on.
The Ashes series refers to the five-test match series played between England and Australia every two years. The hosting duties alternate between the two countries every two years — the winning team takes home the Ashes.
In the event of a draw, the previous winner retains the trophy. The rivalry between the Australian and English cricket teams has been running for over 100 years, creating one of the most popular competitions among cricket punters. Top bookies ensure full coverage as well as massive promotions during the series.
The Indian Premier League is one of the most-viewed cricket tournaments in the world during the entire two months it takes place. The competition brings together eight teams from eight different Indian cities to battle it out for the win.
Furthermore, since it is a T20 format competition, the games are fast-paced and action-packed, making the league a favourite for cricket punters. The Indian Premier League has happened annually since its launch in 2007.
Second in popularity, attendance, and viewership to the Indian Premier League is Australia’s Big Bash League. This T20 format competition brings together 8 Aussie cricket teams to outplay each other. The Big Bash League was established in 2011 and has given punters a thrilling betting experience from December to January.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup is another highly watched cricket competition. The tournament takes the format of One Day International cricket — it is the international championship of the ODI format.
Every four years, the best full member nations in the cricket world and qualified associate countries make up the final 10 teams that will take to the field to entertain cricket fans to win the tournament trophy. For a month, cricket punters worldwide enjoy extensive world cup coverage.
The first T20 World Cup took place in 2007 and has since amassed large crowds of audiences and viewers. The competition begins with the 12 fully registered ICC teams and 8 qualifying teams playing against each other through group stages and knockout rounds until there is a champion.
The entire competition provides numerous opportunities to place wagers and enjoy the thrill of cricket betting. It is expected to have the T20 World Cup is expected to take place every two years.
The One Hundred may be the youngest tournament on our list of top cricket competitions to bet on, but it is quickly creating a solid fanbase for itself among cricket lovers. The 100-ball format cricket tournament is structured to have 100 balls per inning, and the team that scores the most runs wins.
Having first taken place in July and August of 2021, the tournament brings together 8 men's and 8 women's teams to compete. The teams are drawn from major cities across England and Wales.
The NatWest Series is a One Day International (ODI) tournament exclusively held in England. Established in 2000 through sponsorship from National Westminster, the tournament is a favourite among cricket fans and punters due to its fast-paced yet challenging nature. The tournament sees each team meet another twice in the series, and the top two teams fight for finals at the Lord's cricket stadium.
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