Cricket Betting: Sorry Tuffers - today the punter is king

Bat and ball / Frank Gregan / 14 June 2010 / Leave a Comment

Tuffers used to get stick from the beer tent - now he advertises the beer

"Sussex have made a great start to the tournament and are the favourites at [4.5]."

With increased popularity comes a more forthright audience. Frank Gregan discusses the way that a new breed of cricket fan is changing the game's culture.

Ask any professional sportsman plying his trade in a team sport and he will tell you - "Hell hath no fury like a supporter scorned!" Cricket has, to a large extent avoided that fury because the cricket supporter is perceived to have a sound knowledge of the intricacies of the game and a philosophical - bordering on apathetic - approach to results. Cricket players have lived a sheltered life, spared the abuse that other top level team players are subjected to.

Sure there are grounds where fielding positions on the boundary come complete with a gum shield and a shrapnel vest but even there the abuse is seldom more than friendly banter. Comments are restricted to a player's professional ability and there's a self-policing system evident in even the most hostile of crowds that prevents personal attacks.

Plenty of stick is handed out on the boundary and it's no place for the faint hearted but Phil Tufnell was never tempted to launch himself a la Eric Cantona into the masses on the hill at the Sydney Cricket Ground. That's because the 'stick' was dished out with lashings of humour.

Could that all be about to end? Twenty20 has re-branded cricket and a whole new market has been introduced to the game. The T20 World Cup matches were shown live just as the 'pint after work' crowd hit the pubs and England's success ensured that the format secured thousands of new supporters which led to many counties forecasting bumper gates prior to the Friends Provident T20 getting underway.

With the 'old guard' showing a reluctance towards the game's shortest format it's obvious that a lot of these crowds are going to be full of newbie supporters. This new breed has a lot of choice when deciding how to unwind after a long day but a night at the cricket, enjoying the evening sunshine and a couple of sherbets is winning its share of the market.

The supporters have kept their side of the bargain; they've paid their money, bought their beer and parked their backsides and now they want to be entertained. Stand in any pub in England when our national team is playing during the football World Cup and you will quickly realise that every football supporter is an expert. These 'experts' have now been converted to cricket and they are always ready with sage advice to the batsman such as: "Welly it back over his head you prune!"

Surrey creamed in last week against Gloucestershire at the Oval in front of a crowd of 5000. The Brown Caps were 17 for five after having been put into bat and amongst the wickets to fall were the two players that the vast majority of the crowd had come to watch - Andrew Symonds and Younis Khan. The remaining batsmen limped on before being bowled out for 97 with 11 balls remaining. The Gloucestershire openers took just 9.5 overs to get their target and ensure that the game was over before the floodlights were needed.

The Surrey players left the field to a chorus of boos suggesting that the cries of, "I say old chap, frightfully unlucky," have been replaced by scorn, derision and verbal abuse. We'll shortly hear Andy Flower regurgitating the old cliché:"Our supporters have a right to vent their anger." Welcome to the real world Mr Cricket Player, the world where the paying punter is king!

Sussex have made a great start to the tournament and are the favourites at [4.5]. It's very early days and because of that there is still tremendous value to be had in the market. The stand out bet looks to be Surrey's rivals from across the river, Middlesex, who have recently appointed Adam Gilchrist, as captain and a match should be attainable in the region of [20.0]. That looks like a very decent back to lay bet.