The game of cricket is of course the sport of choice on the subcontinent of India, but it’s also huge in several other English-speaking countries all across the world. Essentially a battle between batsman and bowler, it’s a sport that is somewhat similar to golf (which was born in Scotland) and baseball (the national past time in the United States of America).
As we’re currently in the midst of a riveting series between the England and India national teams, it’s the perfect time to examine why so many of the former colonies of the British Empire love cricket, or games similar to cricket. And wherever there is love of sport, you’ll find strong interest in wagering on it.
Playing the total, or what is sometimes called the over/under, is huge at bet 365 cricket. And nowadays, scoring is on the upswing. 15 years ago, a score of over 250 runs in a 50 over game was seen as a novelty, but now, in an era where we see the advantage is sizably in the favor of the batsman, scoring is up. Batsman are physically stronger and have a wider shot selection, but one has to decide what the entertainment value truly is when scores of over 200 are regularly achieved. The odd 400 run game should remain a unique, memorable rarity of a match, and not become the norm.
Tuesday saw India take the first series with England 2-1, with both sides now focusing their attention on a new three-match one-day international series at The Oval. Get your popcorn ready!
Said England team captain Jos Buttler: “It was good fun, a fantastic game of cricket and much more like what we’re used to seeing from our side so I was really pleased, especially with the response with the bat. It was some innings from Suryakumar Yadav. It was one of the best hundreds that I’ve seen and he put us under a lot of pressure.
“I was pleased to see Richard Gleeson back it up with another performance and Chris Jordan has been excellent all series.”
Switching over to the other side, India skipper Rohit Sharma had this to say about what was truly an entertaining affair:
“It was a fantastic chase and we are proud of our fight. Suryakumar Yadav was magnificent to watch. I have been watching him for a while and he loves this format, he is unorthodox and has a wide range of shots. He never lets the tempo go.
“He has grown as player and is going from strength to strength.”
Cricket fans are excited for the opportunity to witness unique moments of extraordinary athletic skill. When those moments of brilliance become a regular occurrence, well then it is no longer a unique spectacle
.All cricket fans to want to watch a competition where bat and ball are more or less on par, which makes for more compelling games. You’ll see that on display when England and India get together.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.