Cricket betting: Test, BBL and ODI markets and settlement rules

Key facts

Test matches have three results (either team or a draw), so Test cricket betting is a three-way market; T20 and one-day games are normally two-way.
Under the TAB's Victorian rules, a tied Test pays bets on either team at half face value and bets on the draw lose.
The same rules exclude the super over from T20 match betting unless the market says otherwise, so a tied Big Bash game with no tie price is settled as a dead heat.
A T20 needs at least 5 overs and a one-day match at least 20 overs, or undecided bets are refunded.
BBL|16 starts on 12 December 2026 in Chennai and the Final is on 26 January 2027, with a reserve day.

Cricket betting in one paragraph

Cricket betting is fixed odds betting on a cricket match, innings or series with a licensed Australian bookmaker. What makes it different from footy is the number of ways a game can end: a win, a draw in a Test, a tie, a super over, or a washout with no result. Each one is settled by its own rule, so the same team can win you money in one market and lose you money in another. This guide uses the TAB's published Victorian sports betting rules as the worked reference, because they are public and detailed. Other bookmakers write their own.

The main cricket markets

Market	Format	What you pick	Settlement point to know
Match result (three-way)	Tests	Team A, Team B or the draw	A tie pays team bets at half, draw bets lose
Head to head	T20 and one-day	The winning team	Super over excluded from T20 match betting unless stated
Top batter	All	Highest scorer for a team or both teams	Ties are dead heats
Top bowler	All	Most wickets in an innings or match	Void unless at least one wicket is taken
Innings runs	All	Over or under a total	Counts the runs scored even if the innings is shortened
Method of dismissal, next batter out	All	How or who	A batter who retires injured is not out
Series and tournament winner	All	Who wins the series or the BBL	A futures bet, settled when it is decided

Player markets have their own fine print. Under the TAB's rules a player who retires for any reason other than injury counts as out, a Mankad counts like any other dismissal, and series tallies such as most runs include runs scored in abandoned matches.

Test cricket betting: three results, not two

A Test match result market has three prices. Here is an example for a home Test:

Selection	Price	Implied chance (1 / price)	Fair price without the margin
Australia	$1.70	58.82%	$1.74
Draw	$4.20	23.81%	$4.31
New Zealand	$5.00	20.00%	$5.13
Total		102.63%	100%

The 2.63% over 100% is the overround, and on a balanced book the bookmaker keeps about 2.57% in our calculation. Our implied probability calculator does this sum for any market.

The draw is a real outcome. If you back Australia and the last day is washed out, your bet loses. That is very different from a two-way head to head bet on a T20.

What a tied Test does to your bet

A tied Test is rare, but the rule for it is specific. Under the TAB's Victorian rules, if a Test is declared a tie, bets on either team are paid at half face value and bets on the draw lose.

$20 on Australia at $1.70	Return
Australia win	$34.00
Match drawn	$0
Match tied	$17.00 (half of $34)

Big Bash betting and the super over

Big Bash betting is mostly two-way: one team or the other. A tied T20 can be decided by a super over, and this is where punters get caught. The TAB's Victorian rules say match betting on a T20 excludes the super over unless the market expressly says it is included.

So if a BBL game is tied after 40 overs:

Market type	How it settles	$10 at $1.85
Head to head with no tie price	Dead heat: payout divided by the 2 teams tied	Returns $9.25
Market that offered a tie price	Bets on either team lose	Returns $0
Market that says it includes the super over	Winner of the super over	Returns $18.50 or $0

Read the market name before you bet. "Match result" and "To win (including super over)" are different bets. Our guide to dead heat rules covers the payout formula in full.

BBL|16 key dates

Cricket Australia's fixture for BBL|16 opens on 12 December 2026 with the Melbourne Renegades against the Perth Scorchers at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the league's first match in India. There are 44 games in total. The four finals between the top four start with the Qualifier on Tuesday 19 January, and the Final is on 26 January 2027 with a reserve day available.

Rain, bad light and shortened games

Weather is part of cricket, and the settlement rules follow the governing body's result. Under the TAB's Victorian rules:

Unless at least one ball is bowled, all bets on the match are refunded.
In a shortened one-day or T20 match, the result is the one declared under the competition rules.
A one-day match needs at least 20 overs completed, and a T20 at least 5, or every undecided bet is refunded.
If play moves to a reserve day, undecided bets carry over to that day.
An innings runs bet counts the runs actually scored, even if the innings was shortened, unless the match is abandoned with no official result.

Futures behave differently. A BBL premiership or series winner bet stays open across abandoned games, because it is settled only when the title is decided. Our guide to futures betting explains how prices on season markets move.

Top batter dead heats

Top batter markets list every player in a team, and two batters can finish on the same score. When they do, they share the result. Under the TAB's dead heat rule the original payout is divided by the number tied and multiplied by the places they fill.

$10 on a batter at $7.00 who ties for top score with a teammate returns $35, not $70. You still make a profit, but half what the slip promised. The same logic applies to top bowler markets, which are also void unless at least one wicket is taken in the innings. Player markets like these are a form of prop bet, and they carry a margin on every name in the list.

The 2026-27 summer at a glance

Cricket Australia's men's schedule gives cricket punters a full summer:

Series	Dates	Venues
ODIs v England	13, 15 and 18 November 2026	Perth, Adelaide, Hobart
T20Is v England	21 November to 2 December 2026	MCG, Gold Coast, Gabba, SCG, Manuka
Tests v New Zealand	9 to 13 Dec, 17 to 21 Dec, 26 to 30 Dec, 4 to 8 Jan	Perth Stadium, Adelaide Oval, MCG, SCG
150th Anniversary Test v England	11 to 15 March 2027	MCG (day-night)

The two Tests against Bangladesh, in Darwin and Mackay, were scheduled for August 2026.

Cricket betting and the law

You can bet on cricket in Australia only with a bookmaker licensed in an Australian state or territory. Betting services not licensed here are illegal to offer, and ACMA warns that offshore sites can be blocked. Online bets must go on before the first ball: ACMA reported in 2026 that Tabcorp paid a $158,400 penalty after accepting 426 in-play bets online across 32 tennis matches, and the same ban covers cricket. Licensed wagering providers also cannot take credit cards or crypto.

Pundit tip: cricket markets close at the first ball online, but a Test runs for five days. If you would have wanted a different bet after day one, that is a sign to bet smaller before the start, not to look for a way around the rule.

For a sport where retirement and walkovers decide the settlement, see our tennis betting guide. Every other bet type is in our bet types guide, and if decimal prices are new, start with how to read odds.

Frequently asked questions

How does Test cricket betting work?

A Test match can end in a win for either side or a draw, so the main market has three prices. You pick one, and the price is fixed when you bet. A draw is a result in its own right, not a refund.

What happens to my bet if a Test match is tied?

Under the TAB's Victorian sports rules, bets on either team are paid at half face value and bets on the draw lose. A $20 bet at $1.70 returns $17 instead of $34. Other bookmakers publish their own rules.

Does the super over count in Big Bash betting?

Not under the TAB's Victorian rules, which exclude the super over from T20 match betting unless the market expressly says it is included. If the game is tied and no tie price was offered, the dead heat rule halves the payout.

What happens to cricket bets if rain shortens the game?

The result is whatever the governing body declares under the competition rules, provided a minimum number of overs is bowled: 5 overs in a T20 and 20 overs in a one-day game under the TAB's rules. Below that, undecided bets are refunded.

Can I bet on cricket while the match is on?

Not online. Online in-play sports betting is banned in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act, so a cricket bet through an app or website must be placed before the first ball.