Cricket and football reading deskCricket betting terms with worked examples
Each term here is tied to a moment you could see in an innings. Start with the basics, then read the advanced terms once a price makes sense to you.
- Basics
- Advanced
- Examples
- Settlement
A market is a question with a price
Most terms on a cricket screen describe the question, the price or what happens to the stake. Learn those three groups separately and the screen becomes much easier to read.
Where each word sits on the screen
A quick map of the words you will see beside a match, grouped by what they describe.
The question
Match winner, totals, player markets and in-play questions. The label names the question the price answers.
The price
Rate, odds or price, each the market's view of how likely an outcome is. Higher means less likely.
The money
Stake, return and commission. The stake is what you put on, and commission on the exchange applies to net winnings only.
The status
Open, suspended, void or settled. The status tells you whether a price can be acted on right now.
The words you will meet first
These definitions cover the terms that appear on almost every cricket market.
What is a stake?
The stake is the amount you put on one bet. Keeping it fixed for a session makes losses easier to measure.
What is a rate?
The rate is the price of one outcome, expressed as a number. It tells you how the market sees the chance of that outcome.
What does back mean?
To back an outcome is to bet that it happens. On the exchange, the other side comes from a customer who has chosen to lay it.
What does lay mean?
To lay an outcome is to bet that it does not happen. On the exchange, you take the opposite side of someone else's back bet.
Terms that change how a bet settles
These terms matter once you are reading live prices and the rules that govern them.
What is a suspended market?
A market is suspended when betting pauses, often straight after a wicket or a review. It reopens, usually at a changed price.
What is a void bet?
A void bet is cancelled and the stake comes back. It usually follows an abandoned match or a market the rules cannot settle.
What is commission on the exchange?
Commission applies to net winnings in each market. Losing bets carry no commission, so the charge depends on what you win, not on what you stake.
What is a match odds market?
It asks which side wins the match. Read the rules for how a tie or a no result is treated, because that differs between formats.
Terms in a real-style over
Each example describes a plausible moment and the term that fits it. None describes a live price.
A wicket in the third over
The batting side's rate lengthens because the market now expects a weaker innings. A rate you backed before the wicket is worth less now.
A chase in the final overs
The required rate climbs above the scoring rate. The chasing side's rate shortens if the stands hold, and lengthens if they break.
A rain stoppage
A suspended market can reopen at a new price, or be voided if the match is abandoned under the market rules.
Settlement words to check
Settlement decides what happens to a stake after the match. These words matter most when a result is disputed.
Abandoned
A match that ends without a result. The market rules say whether bets are voided or stand on the position reached.
Tie or no result
Some formats can finish level or without a result. The market rules name the outcome that applies.
Cricket terms questions answered
Quick answers to the terms readers ask about most often.
Do I need to know every term before I bet?
No. Learn the question, the price and the stake first. The rest can wait until you meet them on a screen.
Why does a rate change so quickly?
Markets reprice on events such as wickets, overs, weather and reviews. A rate is a snapshot of one moment.
Is a lower rate the same as a sure thing?
No. A lower rate marks a likelier outcome, but it still loses sometimes.
Where should I check a term's exact meaning?
In the rules of the market you are looking at, because a term can have a specific meaning for that market.