<p>One of the most popular sports in the world, cricket is intrinsic to Australian culture.</p> <p><br /> <br /> Often described as our national sport, all formats of the game are feasted upon every summer by legions of fans, dads and punters alike.</p> <p><br /> Every punter worth their salt knows just how to bet on cricket, so for the uninitiated out there we have created this in-depth Betting on Cricket Explained guide as part of our Punter IQ series.</p> <p><br /> <br /> From betting on cricket week by week to betting on cricket world cup games, this is a must read for new punters who need help deciphering the multitude of different cricket-based bets, <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/cricket">markets and competitions</a> that are on offer on the Sportsbet app and website.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Understanding the Different Cricket Formats</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Before you can start betting on cricket it is important to understand the different formats and variations of the game that are played and subsequently wagered upon.</p> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3>Test Match</h3> <p>The format that purists consider the pinnacle of the game.</p> <p>Test cricket is a marathon, not a sprint. Test matches can last up to five days with both sides having two innings each to try and post the highest total.</p> <p>The most famous cricket matches such as the <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/boxing-day-test">Boxing Day Test</a> and <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/ashes">The Ashes</a> belong to the Test format.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>ODI Matches</h3> <p>One Day International cricket, or ODI as it’s commonly referred to, is a form of limited overs cricket. Unlike test cricket, play is capped at a maximum of 50 overs per side.</p> <p>The ICC Cricket World Cup is undoubtedly the highlight of this format and an extremely popular event for Sportsbet punters when it rolls around every four years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>T20 Matches</h3> <p>One for all you action junkies out there, Twenty20 (T20) is another form of limited overs cricket. As the name suggests each team has 20 overs to make their mark.</p> <p>This ultra-condensed format naturally facilitates a lot of wickets and a lot of boundaries in a short amount of time as teams are forced to try and post the highest total possible in their very limited number of overs.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/events/big-bash-league">Big Bash League</a> (BBL) is a prime example of T20 cricket and is an annual highlight, bringing with it a host of captivating markets for Sportsbet punters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>What Can You Bet on in Cricket?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Now that you have a basic understanding of the different formats of cricket you can bet on, you’re probably wondering how can I bet on cricket online. Well it’s important to know about the markets available within those formats.</p> <p>While each format does have certain markets that are tailored specifically to their style of play (for example betting on a player to score 10+ runs is common in T20 but not in Test cricket) there are a main raft of markets that are present across all formats.</p> <p>Below are just some of the main cricket markets on offer to Sportsbet patrons.</p> <p>To see every single market available for each cricket format and competition simply go to the Sportsbet website or app, select your desired match and browse at your own leisure.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Cricket Match Betting</h3> <p>Also known as the Head-to-Head (H2H) market. This is where you can bet on who you think will win the match. You can also bet on the result being a draw in formats that facilitate that result – namely test cricket.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Cricket Match or Competition Top Runs Scorer</h3> <p>A market for those who are keen to predict the top run scorer for either one or both sides.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Cricket Match or Competition Top Wicket Taker</h3> <p>The same as Top Runs Scorer except this one is for the people at the other end of the pitch. This market allows you to wager on which bowler you think will claim the most scalps.&nbsp;This can either be in a cricket match bet such Australia v India Test Match or a wider competition such as the BBL.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Player of the Match/Series Betting</h3> <p>A market for punters wanting to pick each match/series standout performer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Player to Score</h3> <p>The Player to Score market allows punters to bet on certain players to score certain totals. I.e. Steve Smith to score 100 or Chris Lynn to score 50.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Win the Toss</h3> <p>It wouldn’t be cricket without the coin toss. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Unsurprisingly the odds for this one are always 50/50.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>What Cricket Competitions Can You Bet on?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>At Sportsbet there is a whole range of cricket competitions that punters can bet on.</p> <p>Whether you’re after the Bangladesh Premier League or The Ashes, we can accommodate. Simply go to the Cricket tab on the Sportsbet homepage and select whichever competition you fancy having a flutter on.</p> <p>With close to 20 different cricket competitions to choose from, it’s impossible to list them all here, instead here are three of the most popular amongst Sportsbet punters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Twenty20 Big Bash (BBL)</h3> <p>Australia’s premier domestic T20 competition. The BBL runs from December to early February and is contested by eight different teams from around the country.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Test Matches</h3> <p>Home of all the biggest international test matches. This is the place to go to bet on what many consider the true form of cricket.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Indian Premier League (IPL)</h3> <p>To India what the BBL is to Australia, this T20 competition is the most popular and lucrative in the world. The biggest names in cricket kit up every year to play in front of the massive crowds and collect the massive pay packets on offer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>How to Bet on Cricket Online</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Choose the format/competition you want.</p> <p><strong>Step 2</strong>: Select your match and browse the markets available for it.</p> <p><strong>Step 3: </strong>Select the market(s) you wish to wager on.</p> <p><strong>Step 4: </strong>Choose your stake and confirm your bet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>