Hampshire Royals captain Dominic Cork with the Friends Life t20 trophy
The Friends Life t20 is a Twenty20 cricket league run by the ECB in England and Wales. The league comprises of 18 teams from the first-class counties divided into two groups of nine, the South group and the North group.
The teams in each group play each other home and away, receiving two points for a win, one point for a tie or abandonment and none for a loss. The top four teams in each group then play off in a knockout to determine the t20 champions.
The inaugural t20 champions were Hampshire Royals who beat Somerset in the 2010 final. Prior to 2010 the counties competed for the Twenty20 Cup, the first official Twenty20 competition which was introduced in 2003.
From the outset, Twenty20 was an immediate hit with cricket fans drawn to the thrills of the cavalier format of the matches. In the three hours or so it takes to complete a Twenty20 game, fans get to witness wickets and runs galore, with many nail biting finishes when the outcome is decided in the final over and often on the final ball itself.
County grounds have enjoyed a big increase in crowds thanks to the excitement of Twenty20 cricket, typified by the record crowd that attended Lords when it held its first Twenty20 game in 2004.
Twenty20 cricket affords itself well to betting and is popular with sports bettors worldwide. The matches are often evenly balanced and Twenty20 betting reflects this, resulting in Twenty20 match odds being a more attractive proposition for cricket bettors than a typical four-day game.
Punters can also opt to bet on the Top Batsman for each side, the team to have the Highest Opening Partnership, Most Economical Bowler, Toatl Number of 4s, Total Number of 6s, Team to score Most 4s, Team to Score Most 6s and many more Twenty20 Betting Markets.
Throughout the Twenty20 season, betting is available on the t20 group winners and outright t20 champion. Many Twenty20 punters will be able to claim free cricket bets when betting with online bookmakers.
FREE CRICKET BETS FOR THE FRIENDS LIFE t20
Get free cricket bets for the Friends Life t20 by registering with online bookmakers to claim the free bet offers that are available exclusively to new customers.
Three steps to get free cricket bets for the Friends Life t20
- Select your free bet offer(s); check the main terms and conditions for restrictions to qualifying for free bets and using free bets, then select the free bet offer(s) that best suit your needs. Best Free Bets has a list of free bet offers with all the main terms detailed. CLICK HERE SEE A LIST OF FREE BET OFFERS
- Sign up with an online bookmaker; Best Free Bets has reviewed the best online bookmakers who will provide free bets to new customers, the bookmakers are recommended because they are trustworthy and reputable, just follow the links to bookmaker’s website and register your details.
- Deposit some funds and place a bet; in most instances deposit and bet as little as £5 to qualify for a free bet matching your first bet stake up to the maximum offered by the bookmaker.
Online bookmakers will normally credit the free bet to your account within 24-48 hours of meeting the qualifying requirements, which usually entails making a deposit and/or placing a bet.
REDEEMING FREE CRICKET BETS
Normally, using your free cricket bet is simply a matter of making your selection and indicating on the bet slip that you wish to use your free bet. Some bookmakers’ methods vary slightly, however their websites will contain instructions on how to redeem your free cricket bet.
There will be restrictions placed on the use of free bets which vary between bookmakers and is advisable to make yourself familiar with those restrictions before signing up.
The six most important facts about redeeming free cricket bets
- Free bet stakes will not be included in returns
- Minimum Odds; expect the bookmaker to insist your free bet is placed on a selection with a minimum price, typically 1/5 (1.20) to evens (2.00)
- Bet Type restrictions; you may not be allowed to use your free bet for some types of bets, however Singles are almost allowed and Accumulators are accepted by most bookmakers.
- Product restrictions; you won’t be able to invest free bets in Tote Pools and in many instances you will be confined to using the free bets in the sportsbook rather than Casino, Poker and other gaming products.
- Rollover requirements; some online bookmakers insist customers bet their deposit and/or stake a number of times before making a withdrawal.
- Free Bet Expiry; if unused, the free bets will expire after a period of time, normally 7 to 30 days.
CRICKET FREE BET TIPS FOR THE FRIENDS LIFE t20
If you enjoy a regular flutter during the course of the Friends Life t20I or on other cricket betting events then its worth considering opening accounts with a number of online bookmakers. Free bets provide an excellent opportunity to increase your winnings or the chance to bet a winner without risking your own money. You also gain the advantage of being able to compare the different odds available for your selection allowing you to choose the best Twenty20 odds for your cricket bets, which will obviously help your profits over time.
Nowadays you can place a bet on your mobile phone and most online bookmakers have special mobile friendly versions of their websites or specially developed mobile phone and smartphone applications to make the website easy to browse and place a bet while you are out and about. It is worth mentioning because some online bookmakers will give you a free bet for trying out their mobile service, even if you already hold an account with them.
Our best cricket free bet tips
- Open accounts with a number of online bookmakers, get cricket free bets and choose the best odds.
- Find bookmakers you can trust, be confident of the bona fides of the bookmaker before handing over important personal and financial information.
- Insure your cricket bets, look for cricket free bet refunds on Top Batsman and other cricket markets. Betfred and Stan James offer to refund losing stakes as free bets on the Friends Life t20 and other bookmakers will introduce free bet refunds and cash back offers near the climax of the season.
Best Free Bets bookmaker reviews provide details of each bookmaker’s offers and promotions. By their nature, offers and promotions can change and we advise you visit the bookmaker’s website and check the available promotions before placing your bet. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR LIST OF BOOKMAKER REVIEWS.