Cricket Betting Sites UK (2024)

How We Choose the Best Cricket Betting Sites

Cricket is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports to wager on in the UK. Many online bookmakers in the UK provide exclusive bonuses, deals, and offers for the game. Even better, there is always a cricket tournament being played, so there are no shortages of big games to bet on — hence plenty of opportunities to make a good profit for those who understand the game. 

We took the trouble of going through the major bookies in the country with the best cricket offers you can take advantage of. If you're a newbie unsure of how the markets play out, this guide will be an eye-opener. 

Before we get down to the list, here are the criteria we used to choose the best cricket betting sites in the UK; 

Legal and Licenses 

This is the most important consideration when choosing the best cricket betting sites in the UK. The Gambling Commission is responsible for providing licenses to bookmakers and regulating the betting industry. All bookmakers included in our list have to tick all the right boxes regarding the legality and having the right licenses.

Range of Cricket Matches and Markets 

Bettors of the sport will appreciate a betting site with a wide range of markets and cricket matches to bet on. This will only increase their chances of winning and making a profit. 

High Cricket Odds 

High odds are a very attractive prospect. In this review, we carefully compared the odds from different bookmakers to identify the ones with the highest or boosted odds. A good cricket betting site should offer great value for money to its customers. 

Special Promotions for Cricket

Boosted odds for cricket are a norm for betting sites, but we went the extra mile by looking for special promotions and other exciting betting offers. These offers include price boosts, free cricket bets, and bonus offers on registration. These offers vary depending on whether the game is yet to start or live. 

Cricket Live Streaming

Any sports fan would love to follow a game they have wagered on. Fortunately, most cricket betting sites in the UK provide access to live cricket streams. That said, we went through various betting sites to determine the ones with the best live action for you to follow up on your bets.

Payment Methods 

More often than not, the cricket betting sites in the country share the same payment methods to fund or withdraw from your account. Other sites are getting creative by adding cryptocurrency as an option. It's important to note that some payment methods can be excluded from special deals.  

Customer Support 

It doesn’t matter how perfect a cricket betting site is; questions and issues can arise anytime. The speed and efficiency with which a customer's complaint or query is resolved is a testament to how well a cricket betting site handles customer care. The best cricket betting sites in the UK should have customer support 24/7. 

The modes of contact should vary because punters will have their unique and preferred methods of communication. Another underrated aspect is the presence of a detailed FAQ to assist bettors on common issues concerning cricket betting. 

Different Types of Online Cricket Betting Options

There are various versions of the cricket game that can be played. These options ensure that there isn’t a shortage of cricket games or events to bet on throughout the year. Some of these online cricket betting options include; 

Tests 

Test cricket is the oldest version of the game, launched in 1882. Despite being the oldest version, it's also the toughest because teams have to face each other for 5 days. The opposing teams will play two innings across 5 days in a test match. The 5 days are also known as a test. 

Tests are tough because teams must endure different conditions throughout the 5 days. Skills, endurance, mental toughness, technique, and temperament under different conditions come into play. The Ashes, which features England vs Australia, is the most popular and biggest test series. 

T20 

This is a newer version of the cricket game that is shorter and faster. A T20 match, also known as Twenty20, takes 3 hours to complete with a format of 20 overs per side. T20 games are hugely popular with fans worldwide due to the skills and hitting needed to win.

The most popular international event for the T20 game is the ICC World Twenty20 which premiered in 2007. The Indian Premier League is the most popular domestic league that features the T20 format. 

One Day Internationals 

These are also known as ODIs and are simply a pacier version of tests. They started to gain popularity in the 1980s. The ICC Cricket world cup features this format, and the matches feature one-innings with 50 overs per side. 

Teams with a good mixture of speed, technique, and skill will do well in One Day Internationals because the game is fast and demanding. 

Popular Cricket Events 

There is no shortage of cricket events due to the various versions of the game. Here are some of the popular cricket events to look for;

ICC Cricket World Cup 

This event is held every four years and is organised by the International Cricket Council — the premier event was held in 1975. It's one of the world's most-viewed sporting events. The ICC cricket world cup qualification phase happens in the three years following the event. 

The Ashes

The Ashes is considered one of the oldest rivalries in sports. It was launched in 1882 and features England vs Australia. The name originates from a satirical print in a newspaper after Australia beat England on home soil to win. The print claimed English cricket would be burnt to the ground and the ashes sent to Australia, which happened the next time the two rivalries met. England lost, and a pair of balls were burned and the ashes put in the urn. The Ashes was born!!

Indian Premier League 

It’s considered the strongest domestic T20 competition. The league was founded in 2007 and is contested by 10 teams based in 7 Indian cities and three Indian states. The famous league runs from March to May of every year. It’s the most popular cricket league in the world and attracts a lot of punters once it commences. 

T20 World Cup 

This international championship of Twenty20 cricket is held every two years. The event comprises 16 teams and is organised by the International Cricket Council. Ten teams are chosen from the rankings at a given deadline, while the other six are chosen through a qualifier. 

The T20 world cup was first played in 2007 and never fails to deliver fast-paced and exciting cricket. 

Big Bash League

The Big Bash League (BBL or Big Bash) is a domestic T20 competition in Australia established in 2011. It features 8 franchises and is normally played during the Australian summer in December, January, and February. It's quite competitive — of all the 8 franchises participating in the Big Bash League, at least 6 of them have won the title once. 

Popular Cricket Betting Markets

Let’s look at some of the popular cricket betting markets;

Match Betting 

This is the main market in cricket betting. It's pretty straightforward, and users only try to predict the winner of a game between two teams. The format of the game doesn’t matter because there will be a result in the end.

Top Bowler

Here, users can bet which player will have the highest bowling figures at the end of the game. It's a player performance matrix, and users can opt for the top bowler in a team or the game overall.

Top Batsman

Another player performance matrix but looks at the batting statistics. Users can bet on the top batsman, the player with the highest runs in the match. Again, the format of the game doesn't matter — it can be a Test, ODI, T20, and so forth. 

Over/Under

This is a popular market for short versions of the cricket game, like the T20 format. Users can bet on the runs scored by a particular player or the team.  

Man of the Match 

This option lets you predict the man of the match at the end of the game.

Tips and Strategies for Betting on Cricket

There are many strategies and markets for cricket betting because of the many versions of the game. 

• Specialise in a specific game variant

A punter needs to specialise in a specific variant of the game to understand it and have a better analysis. Statistics for ODIs, Twenty20, and Test cricket will need a different interpretation because the style is different.

• Wait for the coin toss

Unlike other sports, the winner of a toss in cricket can hugely influence a game, so sometimes it’s advisable to wait until the coin is tossed before placing your bet. Odds are updated throughout the game among the bookmakers, so watch out for that too.

• Home advantage is key

Home teams are usually dominant at home due to the familiarity of the pitch and weather conditions — factors that can heavily influence a match. Of course, like in other sports, games can be unpredictable, and players can turn up or have a bad game out of the blue.