Betting on Twenty20

Standard cricket games, as they are enjoyed in their purest form, take place over 5 days. Both teams are donned in white and take to the field in what is known as a Test match. It’s the ultimate cricket contest with bowler pitted against batsman in a contest of gut-wrenching proportions. Cricket is so much more than a game; it’s a battle of wills. Players from both teams must grind out an innings in the face of an unrelenting bowling and fielding onslaught. It’s skill against skill in a grueling contest which often assumes epic proportions.

Cricket mirrors life in most every respect. But from a spectator’s point-of-view, the erstwhile Test cricketing arena can become tedious. 5 days of unrelenting, oftentimes seemingly uneventful, cricket action can leave spectators unfulfilled. While the true cricketing aficionado will never feel this way, it is the bustling hubbub of daily life that encroaches on cricket time out in the middle. Fortunately, cricket is highly adaptable and ever-innovative. No sooner had Test cricket established itself as the ranking form of team assessment, than ODI cricket came to the fore. This 50-over game per side is seen as a highly entertaining spectacle where run rates in excess of 6 per over are commonplace. The ICC Cricket World Cup is measured on ODI performances.

But spectators and cricket bettors want something even more exciting…

Enter Twenty20 cricket. This is not your average cricket game. It was born from the desire of promoters and spectators for a new spin on proceedings. Games – even ODI games – were too slow for a new breed of cricket spectators. And it’s not only the new players who are demanding baseball-style slog-sweeping in cricket games – it’s seasoned veterans too. With time at a premium and society finding it increasingly difficult to maintain 5 full days of interest in a Test match, players and spectators alike realize the need for change. So much money is riding on cricket games too, and for this reason alone, more bets are being made and the game is changing in ways never before thought possible.

How a typical Twenty20 game plays out:

Players don’t try to play themselves in over several overs, because only 20 overs exist per team. Rather players get in, get a feel for the wicket and the bowler and start pummeling the ball out of the park. Scores of 8 – 10 runs to the over are commonplace in this version of the game. And bowlers are restricted to several overs each, no more. Thus the field placing is crucial and the opening batsmen are key to a good start.

Betting on these Twenty20 games is a big deal. Mega-millions of dollars are placed in daily wagers and teams acquire massive endorsements especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is now official cricket betting has hit the stratosphere and it’s all thanks to the rise and dominance of Twenty20 Cricket action.