A multi-billion dollar industry today, cricket has a long and illustrious history that stretches back possibly as far as the Normans or the Saxons. What began as an informal game played with a few wooden sticks and a ball has evolved and been codified into the game that is enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
It is not just the favourite game of sports lovers in many countries around the world. It is also one of the biggest online betting markets. Huge amounts of money change hands, especially when international test matches and tournaments are played.
Punters who have had little to no exposure to the game may find it difficult to follow at first, and it does present a challenge as far as betting on it goes. Becoming familiar with the sport and with the betting options, such as live cricket betting, offered by better quality bookmakers does take perseverance on the part of punters.
A Brief History of Cricket
No one knows when cricket was first played, although some have speculated that it may have been created by Saxon or Norman children in an area of south-east England known as the Weald. Others have speculated that it may have originated in Flanders or in France.
The very first definite reference to the game is in a 1597 English court case record that details a dispute about land ownership. In the record, the game is called creckett. At that time, it was played only by young boys.
Another record, dated 1611, details how two men who played cricket instead of going to church one Sunday were prosecuted.
By the end of the 17th century, the game was not only popular among many men; it also became one of the most bet on sports in England.
18th century colonisation took the game out of England and introduced it to other parts of the world, and it was in that century that its rules began to be properly codified. The game continued to develop and spread in the centuries that followed.
Major Cricket Events
While cricket is not a popular sport in North America, countries such as the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, India, and others cannot get enough of it. A popular summer sport played in both hemispheres means that online bookmakers are able to offer markets on it almost throughout the year.
Better quality bookmakers usually offer markets on club and provincial cricket, as well as on international matches and tournaments. Some of the most important international events include the ICC World Cup, the ICC World Twenty20, the ICC Champions Trophy, the Champions League Twenty20, the Indian Premier League, and the Hong Kong Sixes.
Cricket Bet Types Online
Online bookmakers’ cricket markets offer various bets. Punters can place bets once they have created an account at a bookmaker, and have deposited money into it.
Punters can place live bets, futures bets, outright bets, and prop bets. In addition to betting on a team to win a match or a tournament, they can also bet on the Man of the Match, on a series score, on a test match run total, on a team to score the highest number of sixes, and on which team will bat first.
