Cricket Propositions Bets
| Updated: September 12, 2024
Proposition betting is usually appraised as a more advanced type of wagering. As such, it provides various opportunities to realize your knowledge of cricket and turn it into a profitable payout. The apparent complexity of these predictions should not discourage you since if you keep on reading about cricket and watching different matches, you will start to understand some of the sport’s finer aspects and will realize that it depends on you to turn a difficult prediction into a successful bet.
The so-called props are a special type of wagers dealing with elements of a cricket match that are not related to its eventual winner. These include but are in no way limited to how many points a certain team will have after the first inning, who will win the toss, a player to score 100+ runs, etc. It is fun to place proposition bets because you never know exactly what markets bookmakers will provide on the eve of big cricket matches. No bet type limits, no entertainment limits. However, do not forget props are a high-risk betting option, so carefully consider whether they are the right choice for you.
Innings Runs
Betting on the number of runs scored within a cricket match inning is a relatively popular wagering method chosen by multiple sports betting devotees. Punters can either bet on the exact number of runs or predict whether runs total will be over or under a certain threshold specified by the online bookmaker. The number of innings is not always the same but depends on the respective match format. In first-class cricket events, there are up to four innings while in limited-over matches innings are only two which means each team is batting once. According to the particular event’s rules, some additional, shortened innings are also possible in the case of a tie.
The Innings Runs bet variation that is most common on online betting platforms is the First Innings Runs market. In the Over/Under bet you will never see an exact number. Why? The answer is simple – if the respective team scores that particular number of runs, bets will be neither winning nor losing. This way of presenting Over/Under Totals is also used in other sports like football, basketball, ice hockey, and others.
| England Total Runs 1st Innings 276.5 | |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
| 1.61 | 2.20 |
| England Total Runs 1st Innings 301.5 | |
| Over | Under |
| 1.83 | 1.83 | England Total Runs 1st Innings 326.5 |
| Over | Under |
| 2.20 | 1.61 |
An alternative form of the Innings Runs market is the Par Score bet showing how many runs a team is expected to score when it is the first to bat in an ODI or T20 match. We are not mentioning Test cricket matches not because there are no pars in them but because their significance is far lower due to the fact teams bat up to four times. Shorter cricket formats, on the other hand, require setting a total through only one attempt. When making a research before placing your bet, there are several factors you should check – chronicled data for teams batting first at that particular field, the current wicket, eventual injuries of key batsmen, etc.
Method of Dismissal
Betting on the next method of dismissal is an entirely different way of wagering on cricket matches since it is performed while the match is unfolding. Thus, not only you can enjoy watching your favorite sport but also gain a significant profit in case of a correct short-term prediction. In its essence, this type of cricket bet simply requires you to foresee how the batsman on the crease will be dismissed. Usually, online bookmakers provide either a 6-way or 2-way betting. Most often, the available bet options are caught, bowled, LBW, run out, stumped, and other. As you can see from the table below, the odds of the different methods of dismissal vary in a fairly wide range which reflects the probability of their occurrence. The example includes real data for England playing a Test match with the West Indies.
| England Metod of 4th Dismissal 1st Innings | |
|---|---|
| Fielder Catch (ex Wicket Keeper) | 1.83 |
| Bowled | 4.33 |
| Keeper Catch | 4.00 |
| LBW | 5.00 |
| Run Out | 26.00 |
| Stumped | 51.00 |
| Other | 201.00 |
Here is a brief description of the main dismissal methods in cricket matches.
Caught
Not much explanation is needed here. A dismissal is announced if the batsman hits the ball and it is caught by a fielder before it hits the ground. It is no wonder this method comes with the lowest betting odds since it prevails most other methods of dismissal. The informal term “caught behind” refers to a batsman being caught by a wicket-keeper. If the ball strikes the edge of the bat, the batsman is entitled to stand his ground and wait for the umpire to decide whether the batter is out or not.
Bowled
A batsman is considered bowled out if a legal delivery by the opposing bowler hits the wicket and puts it down. For a wicket to be declared down, it is enough even if only one of the bails has dislocated and fallen on the ground. It does not matter if the ball has hit the stumps directly or has been averted from the bat or the body of the batsman. Usually, this method of dismissal is obvious and does not require the interference of an umpire.
Leg Before Wicket (LBW)
The main purpose of the LBW dismissal is to impede batsmen intentionally to block the wicket with their legs or any other part of their bodies. If it is judged that a legal delivery is about to hit the stumps but before that it strikes any part of the batsman’s body, he is dismissed. This is the most complex to judge dismissal method and it inevitably involves a decision by the umpire. However, the batsman will not be given out if the ball pitches outside the leg stump line even if otherwise the ball would have reached the stumps.
Run Out and Stumped
A batsman is considered run out if while the ball is in play, a fielder of the rival team puts down the wicket in a moment when he is out of his ground. To meet the conditions of this method, no part of the batsman’s bat or body must be grounded behind the popping crease. Such a situation generally occurs when the batsman is running between the wickets, making an attempt to score the next run. A batsman is not deemed out if the straight drive he plays breaks the non-striker’s stumps whilst he is outside the crease. In a similar situation, if the batsman is not attempting a run but has just left the relevant crease to play the ball, he is considered “stumped”.
Coin Toss
The toss of the coin is the first element of cricket matches and is performed half an hour before the game begins. The tradition is for the hosts’ captain to toss the coin and the captain of the guests to choose its side (heads or tails). Millions of passionate cricketers consider the start of the game is not the first ball of the first over, but rather the toss. If you are just about to enter the field of online sports betting, you will probably be surprised that such an issue is not only a cricket betting market but a quite popular one.
Punters who choose to place a Coin Toss Winner bet must simply predict which team will win the toss and subsequently decide whether to bat or bowl first. This is an even-chances proposition bet that relies on pure luck with no external factors affecting the outcome.
So, does the coin toss have a real impact on the game? Each cricket team has a strategy for how it will play in case it wins the toss. The correct prediction about the side of the coin allows the respective team to start the match in a way it feels more comfortable with.