This County Championship betting guide attempts to cover everything related to arguably the most prestigious domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales. You will find a list of the top County Championship betting sites, relevant stats, the competition format, its rich history, the best County Championship betting odds, and more.
Top 5 County Championship Betting Sites
- 15% of bet credits up to ₹4000
- Free live streaming facility
- Dedicated live scores and results sections
- 100% Welcome bonus up to ₹2500 + Other sports betting promos
- Deposit with UPI Bank Transfer
- Money back as a free bet on select cricket matches
- Get 100% Sign-up bonus up to ₹10,000 + 20 FS
- One of the best bookies for cricket betting
- County Championship betting on the go with the 10CRIC app
- Attractive welcome bonus up to €50
- Competitive County Championship odds
- Enjoy live County Championship betting
- 100% Sign-up bonus up to €25
- Free live streaming of select matches
- County Championship betting on the move with the Unibet app
Recommended County Championship Betting Sites
- bet365
- Betway
- 10CRIC
- 10bet
- Unibet
County Championship 101
The English County Championship is right up there with some of the top cricket tournaments in the world. To put it in context, think of it as the Vitality T20 Blast, except for the obvious change in format.
This year, the LV= Insurance County Championship got underway on 8 April, with 18 first-class counties in England and Wales vying for the title.
To make the most of 2021 County Championship betting, follow all the latest news and match updates at ESPNcricinfo and other top-bracket and reliable cricket analysis websites.
2021 County Championship Betting Odds
The best cricket betting sites in India are offering some of the most competitive County Championship odds at the time of writing this article. We have compiled the best outright winner County Championship odds here to make things more convenient.
| Team | County Championship Odds | County Championship Betting Site | Lancashire | 4.00 | bet365 |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 5.50 | Betway |
| Warwickshire | 6.00 | Betway |
| Gloucestershire | 8.00 | Unibet |
| Yorkshire | 8.00 | Unibet |
| Nottinghamshire | 9.00 | Betway |
| Essex | 12.00 | Unibet |
| Hampshire | 12.00 | 888sport |
| Durham | 16.00 | 888sport |
| Surrey | 20.00 | Unibet |
| Glamorgan | 125.00 | Unibet |
| Leicestershire | 200.00 | Betway |
| Northamptonshire | 20.00 | bet365 |
County Championship Tips and Predictions
Looking for a few useful County Championship tips? Below, we have put together some crucial stats that will help you create a watertight County Championship betting strategy:
Batting Stats
- David Bedingham, with 787 runs in 8 matches, is the highest run-getter as of now in the 2021 edition. He is followed by Jake Libby (776 runs), Matthew Critchley (653), Tom Haines (648), and Tom Abell (635).
- David Bedingham also has the highest individual score of 257 runs (of 410 balls) against Derbyshire. Breathing down his neck are Ollie Pope (245 runs vs Leicestershire), James Vince (231 vs Leicestershire), Hasheem Amla (215 vs Hampshire), and Tom Westley (213 vs Worcestershire).
- With 3 centuries to his name, David Bedingham has the most 100s in the 2021 County Championship. Tied with him are Jake Libby, Tom Westley, Marcus Harris, and Samuel Evans – all scoring the same number of centuries but at a lesser average.
- Rory Burns leads the Most 50s tally, scoring 6 half-centuries in his 7 matches. Next up are Mathew Critchley, Lewis Hill, Sam Hain, and Harry Brook, all scoring 5 fifties apiece.
Bowling Stats
- With 40 wickets from 8 games, Chris Rushworth is the highest wicket-taker as of now in the 2021 County Championship. Snapping at his heels are Luke Fletcher (38 wickets), Simon Harmer (38), Craig Overton (36), and Kyle Abbott (35).
- Ollie Robinson leads the Best Bowling figures’ tally – 9/78 vs Glamorgan (30.1 overs, 10 maidens, economy rate 2.59). Next up are Simon Harmer (9/80 vs Derbyshire), Kemar Roach (8/40 vs Hampshire), Luke Fletcher (7/37 vs Worcestershire), and Chris Wright (7/53 vs Gloucestershire).
- Chris Rushworth, with three 5-fers, leads the Most 5 Wickets’ Haul tally in the 2021 County Championship. Tied with him are Simon Harmer, Luke Fletcher, Craig Overton, and Kyle Abbott.
Check out Cricbuzz for detailed stats from the 2021 County Championship.
County Championship Tips
Leading sports bookies in India will likely offer multiple County Championship betting markets (apart from the outright winner) once the competition resumes on July 4. Below are our County Championship tips you can use to bet on these markets.
However, please remember that even the best cricket prediction in the world cannot guarantee winnings. Be it County Championship betting or IPL betting, don’t leave things to chance. You have to do the hard yards – follow the tournament, track live scores, and stay on top of match updates – if you want to beat the house and walk away with a handsome profit.
That out of the way, here are our County Championship tips:
| County Championship Betting | Description | County Championship Tips | Most Runs / Top Batsman | In this County Championship betting market, predict who will amass the most runs over the entire tournament |
|---|---|---|
| 1. David Bedingham | ||
| 2. Mathew Critchley | ||
| 3. Jake Libby | ||
| Highest Individual Score / Top Team Batsman | Predict who will be the highest run scorer in a particular game | 1. David Bedingham |
| 2. James Vince | ||
| 3. Ollie Pope | ||
| 4. Tom Westley | ||
| Most 100s | In this County Championship betting market, guess which batsman would have the most centuries to his name over the entire competition | |
| 1. David Bedingham | ||
| 2. Jake Libby | ||
| 3. Tom Westley | ||
| 4. Marcus Harris | ||
| Most 50s | Similar to the previous market, except for you bet on the batsman who could score the most 50s | 1. Rory Burns |
| 2. Mathew Critchley | ||
| 3. Lewis Hill | ||
| 4. Sam Hain | ||
| Most Wickets/Top Bowler | One of the most popular County Championship betting markets. Here, you predict which bowler would have the most scalps to his name. | 1. Chris Rushworth |
| 2. Luke Fletcher | ||
| 3. Simon Harmer | ||
| 4. Craig Overton | ||
| Most Wickets in A Match | Simple. Put your money on who you think would be the highest wicket-taker in a specific match. | 1. Ollie Robinson |
| 2. Simon Harmer | ||
| 3. Kemar Roach | ||
| 4. Luke Fletcher |
County Championship Betting: Know Your Teams
Yorkshire has been the most successful county, winning 32 titles and sharing one. Three counties – Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Northamptonshire – have never won the official title. However, Gloucestershire claimed three unofficial titles in the 1870s.
Below, we have compiled the County Championship winners and runners-up from the last 10 years. This should give you some perspective on which team to back for your County Championship betting picks.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | 2019 | Essex | Somerset |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Surrey | Somerset |
| 2017 | Essex | Lancashire |
| 2016 | Middlesex | Somerset |
| 2015 | Yorkshire | Middlesex |
| 2014 | Yorkshire | Warwickshire |
| 2013 | Durham | Yorkshire |
| 2012 | Warwickshire | Somerset |
| 2011 | Lancashire | Warwickshire |
| 2010 | Nottinghamshire | Somerset |
Best and Worst Counties
- Yorkshire have won the most number of County Championships, with as many as 33 titles to date. The most recent one came in 2015. They have definitely been the most successful team of the lot since they debuted at the inaugural event in 1890.
- Also, Yorkshire have only ever ‘won’ just the one wooden spoon (awarded to those who finish bottom). This is in stark contrast to the 15 times that Derbyshire have got this accolade.
- That takes us to Derbyshire’s near dismal showing here. They have only won the County Championship once in 1936 since their debut in 1895.
- Having said that, Derbyshire isn’t the most unsuccessful county; Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Northamptonshire are. Gloucestershire, however, have finished runners-up on multiple occasions. Somerset and Northamptonshire have finished bottom on 12 and 11 occasions, respectively.
- With 19 titles, Surrey are second only to Yorkshire, but still far away from beating the latter’s impressive win record.
- All the other teams have been reasonably successful.
Live County Championship Betting
Live betting isn’t for the faint-hearted. It is one action-packed rollercoaster ride, where you will see County Championship odds change by the second – with every ball bowled and each run scored. It is fast and dynamic, undoubtedly more exciting than pre-match betting, and one that will require you to think and act more quickly than usual.
We have compiled the best in-play betting sites where you should find live County Championship betting. Use some of the recommended live cricket score sites and apps to stay on top of match updates and results in real time.
County Championship Format
The cornerstone of County Championship betting is knowing the structure of the competition first. Every participating team has the opportunity to win both the County Championship and the Bob Willis trophy. The Championship runs in two stages:
Group Stage
- The 18 first-class counties have been divided into three groups of six each. In its group, each county will play the others both at home and away, which means a total of 10 matches.
- When the group stage comes to a close, the top two counties from each group will proceed to Division One for the County Championship’s second phase.
- The remaining 12 will progress to Divisions Two and Three. The third and fourth-placed counties from each group move to Division Two, while the fifth and sixth-placed teams move to Division Three.
Division Stage
This is where things start getting interesting.
- The counties will play their final four County Championship games after proceeding to their divisions.
- However, a county won’t be playing the other team from its initial group. Instead, it will carry forward half the points it scored against the other team in their two group-stage matches. This might result in half the number of points being carried forward.
For example, suppose Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire both proceed from Group 1 to Division One after each having scored a combined 21 points in their two matches against each other. In this case, both counties will be carrying forward to the Division Stage 10.5 points each.
Check out the County Championship points table to know how the teams are poised as of now. Stay on top of all the relevant stats and figures to derive the maximum value from County Championship betting.
How Many Matches Remain In the 2021 County Championship?
Get detailed County Championship 2021 schedules and results on Cricbuzz.
How Is the County Championship Winner Decided?
The team that finishes at the top of Division One will win the 2021 County Championship.
County Championship Groups
There are three groups, as discussed earlier. Each group consists of six counties:
Group 1: Essex, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Worcestershire
Group 2: Surrey, Hampshire, Somerset, Middlesex, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire
Group 3: Yorkshire, Kent, Sussex, Glamorgan, Lancashire, Northamptonshire
Where Can I Watch the 2021 County Championship?
For 2021, all the matches will be live streamed on the England Cricket app, which can be downloaded from Google Play Store and download the app. Every county will live stream their home matches over their social media handles or official websites. You can also check out the top-rated live cricket streaming sites offering minimum-delay live broadcast of various international and domestic matches happening worldwide.
County Championship Betting FAQs
What are some of the best County Championship betting sites?
We have singled out the best County Championship betting sites for you at the beginning of this article. However, please remember that these are only the top five. There are other bookies out there also offering County Championship betting and competitive County Championship odds, so feel free to do research of your own should you so wish.
Additionally, head over to our guide to the best cricket betting apps if you're a fan of playing on the go.
How is the winner of the County Championship decided?
The county that tops Division One will win the County Championship.
How is the winner of the Bob Willis Trophy decided?
The top two counties from Division One fight it out for the Bob Willis Trophy in a five-day game at Lord’s, concluding the men’s first-class domestic season.
How have the County Championship groups been decided?
Seedings for the Group Stage have been decided based on the counties’ performance at the 2019 County Championship and the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy.
Can a county win both the County Championship as well as the Bob Willis Trophy?
Absolutely. This time, Essex will look to defend both their titles – the 2019 County Championship and the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy.
CricketBettingAdvice Final Say
County Championship betting has found its way to many leading bookies, including near-household names like bet365, 10CRIC, and Betway. The range of matches on offer certainly helps to keep things fresh, considering there are as many as 18 counties.
We hope the County Championship tips discussed in this article help you place a few winning bets!
The Cricket Betting Advice team of writers are all defined by one goal: to provide you with the best online betting content on the web.