Cricket 101: 6 Formats you need to know 

If you haven’t noticed, cricket is one of the most popular sports in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other parts of the world. It is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a 22-yard pitch with wickets at each end.  

Before the game begins, a coin is tossed to determine the fielding and batting team. The fielding team needs to prevent the batting team from scoring by dismissing a batsman out. On the other hand, the batting team needs to hit the ball using a cricket bat while players are running between wickets.

There are different cricket formats played locally and internationally. It is best to know these formats especially when it comes to sports betting. This will help you a lot in wagering on your favourite Sportsbet cricket teams. 

To give you an overview, here are the different formats of cricket you need to know when placing your Bitcoin Sportsbet wagers: 

Test Cricket

Test Cricket is the oldest format played in 5 days with 15 sessions and 90 overs. This cricket format is recognized as the game's highest standard. It is called ‘Test’ cricket because of its long matches that test the mental and physical capabilities of the players. Test cricket is only played between teams with Test status granted by the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

A standard Test match is made up of three sessions played for two hours each. Players are allowed to take their lunch for 40 minutes and 20 minutes for tea. However, there are instances wherein the duration of sessions and intervals may be altered due to changes in the number of innings or bad weather. 

One Day International (ODI) 

Also referred to as Limited Overs International (LOI), this cricket format is played in one day with 50 overs for each team. ODI is also played by teams with an international status. What sets ODI apart from other formats is that the ICC can grant permanent, temporary, and special ODI status for teams to participate in the match.

With ODIs, each team can only bat for a fixed number of overs. But in the early years of ODIs, there were a total of 60 overs per side while the matches were played with 40, 45, or 55 overs per side. As the years passed by, the number of overs was fixed at 50 overs.

The bowling side is also subject to fielding restrictions to prevent teams from setting defensive fields wholly. The fielding restriction determines the maximum number of fielders allowed to play outside the 30-yard circle. 

There are three levels of fielding restrictions in ODI. These are: 

• During the first 10 overs of an inning, the fielding team may place two fielders outside the 30-yard circle 
• Between the 11 and 40 overs, 4 fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle 
• During the final 10 overs, a total of 5 fielders are allowed the 30-yard circle 

Twenty20 Cricket

Also known as T20, it is a shortened format introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003. The match is played with each team getting single innings with a maximum of 20 overs. 

T20 is one of the three formats of cricket recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) being the highest international or domestic level. Since it is the shortened format of cricket, T20 is well-received by spectators at the ground and viewers on television. 

With its shortened playtime, it immediately became popular in the cricket community to the point that the majority of international tours have at least one T20 match. It is also the cricket match wherein the players do not arrive from and depart to traditional rooms. They usually come and go from a bench that you can see in the playing area.   

The Hundred 

It is a professional 100-ball cricket tournament with eight women’s and men’s teams from major cities across Wales and England. The Hundred is also run by the ECB and is recognized as one of the newest formats of cricket first played in July and August 2021. 

The Hundred attracted a younger and more diverse crowd because the match usually lasts up to 2 ½ hours only. The free-to-air broadcasts of the competition are streamed by BBC while all of the women’s matches and some of the men’s matches are streamed for free on YouTube. The majority of the matches were held at the same venue and on the same day. What’s great is that only one ticket is needed to watch both men’s and women’s games. 

Club cricket

Club cricket is recognized as an amateur but the widest form of cricket with teams organised into leagues. Oftentimes, each innings lasts between 20 to 50 overs. Other club cricket leagues are also played with restrictions in overs or time. 

This cricket format is often played by amateur players. But for a more competitive match, the majority of cricket clubs hire professional coaches and players to train them. 

Declaration cricket

It is the most traditional format that closely resembles the original rules of cricket from the 16th and 17th centuries. Declaration cricket is played with single innings that has a time limit for the entire match. To win, a team should score the highest number of runs and take all of the ten wickets from the opposing team. 

Declaration cricket is often referred to as old-fashioned and is usually used for friendly matches instead of an organized tournament. 

By knowing the different formats of cricket, it will be easier for you to determine the league you want to wager on Sportsbet. You can also research more about the teams before you bet on your preferred sportsbook. 

What are you waiting for? Place your Bitcoin Sportsbet wagers and have a great time sportsbetting. Just remember to set a betting limit to avoid overspending and losing a huge amount of money. Observe responsible gambling at all times.