These are the rules we apply to cricket betting on this site, summarised from SA bookmakers' published T&Cs across Test cricket, ODI, T20, and the SA20. The Proteas Tests at Newlands, the SA20 at the Wanderers, an ODI at SuperSport Park: the settlement rules differ between formats, and that difference matters when your bet is sitting on a rain-affected game.
Where the rules are consistent across all the SA-licensed operators we review, we say so. Where they diverge, we flag it and tell you to check your specific operator's house rules.
Match Result (Test, ODI, T20)
Test cricket
Settles on the official result: win, loss, or draw. The match must complete or be officially declared for bets to settle. If a Proteas Test is washed out with no play possible across all five days, match-result bets are typically voided. The catch is a partial washout: if play begins on at least one day and the match is later abandoned, most operators treat it as a draw rather than voiding. Read your operator's specific rule here.
ODI and T20
Settles on the official result, including any DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) adjustments. If a match is abandoned without a valid DLS result, bets are typically voided unless a Super Over has been completed and a winner declared.
SA20
Same framework as T20 internationals. DLS applies when rain interrupts play and a revised target is set. A Super Over breaks ties when applicable. Abandoned matches without a DLS result void match bets. We'd note that SA20's knockout stages have occasionally prompted confusion about whether a drawn final triggers extra time for betting purposes. It doesn't. SA20 uses a Super Over, and the Super Over result is the official match result.
Top Run Scorer / Top Wicket Taker
Settles on the player with the highest runs or wickets in the full match. For Test cricket, that means both innings combined. For ODIs and T20s including SA20, only the relevant innings counts for batting. Where this trips punters up is Test cricket: a player who scores 0 in the first innings and 80 in the second is still the top scorer if no one else passes 80.
Tied performances
If two players tie at the top, most SA operators apply Dead Heat rules: your stake is split proportionally between the tied selections, reducing your return. Some operators void in dead-heat scenarios instead. The difference can be significant in player prop markets with high odds. We'd always check the operator's Dead Heat policy before placing a top-scorer bet on a close contest.
Player Performance Markets
Player to score X runs
A typical market: "Player to score 50 or more runs in their innings." Settlement is on the player's actual runs scored. If the player doesn't bat, bets are typically voided. If they retire hurt before reaching the target, see the Common Disputes section below.
Player to take X wickets
Settlement is on actual wickets attributed to the bowler by the official scorecard. If the player doesn't bowl in the relevant innings, bets are typically voided. Where this trips punters up is with limited overs matches where the captain might not use a key bowler. That's the punter's risk to manage before placing, not an operator dispute.
Run-out wickets
Run-outs do NOT count toward a bowler's wicket total. Only catches, bowled, LBW, stumped, and hit-wicket count for "wickets taken" markets. A bowler who takes two wickets and is involved in two run-outs still has two wickets for settlement purposes.
Most Sixes / Most Boundaries
Settles on the official scorecard. Boundaries scored on overthrows do NOT count to the batsman's boundary tally. They're scored as runs, but the boundary count stays with the batsman who played the shot. This is standard across SA bookmakers and rarely causes disputes, but it's worth knowing if you're betting on SA20 boundary markets where overthrow sixes can appear.
Series Winner
Settles on the team that wins the most matches in the series. If the series ends level, most operators offer a three-way market including draw, and a separate two-way market with no draw option. We'd always confirm which version you're placing on: a 1-1 drawn series on a two-way market settles differently from the same result on a three-way market.
Tournament Markets
Outright winner (SA20, World Cup, Champions Trophy)
Settles on the team that wins the final match of the tournament. If the tournament format is changed mid-event, settlement is at the operator's discretion. This rarely happens, but rain-hit knockout stages can accelerate schedules in ways that affect ante-post outright bets.
Top run scorer (tournament)
Settles at the end of the tournament. All matches played by the player are included, from the group stage through the final. The catch with SA20 is a small tournament: a player retired hurt in the semi-final could affect the outcome of your tournament top-scorer bet. Most operators void those bets; some settle on the official final standings. Check before you place.
Live Betting Rules
Cricket live betting moves fast. Operators suspend markets on every wicket, every six, every four, and on every over change. We'd expect markets to go dark for 30 seconds or more after a wicket, which makes chasing live bets after a breakthrough risky. Cash out values shift dramatically when wickets fall in quick succession. Treat cash out on cricket as more volatile than on football.
DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern)
If rain interrupts play and DLS is applied, settlement uses the official DLS-adjusted result. Pre-match total runs markets and handicap markets are NOT adjusted for DLS. They settle on the official result regardless of how that result was reached. A team winning a DLS-revised target of 180 off 30 overs is treated identically to a team winning a full 50-over match for settlement purposes on most market types.
Common Disputes
Hit by ball / retired hurt
If a batsman retires hurt before reaching their target in a "Player to score X" market, most SA operators void the bet. If the player later returns to the crease and resumes batting, the innings is treated as continuous and settlement is on the final score. The dispute arises when a player is listed as retired hurt and does not return. Always check whether the operator you're using voids or settles on the score at retirement.
Last over confusion
"Will there be a Super Over?" markets settle YES only if a Super Over is officially called and bowled. If a match ends in a tie without a Super Over being completed, bets void. In domestic SA cricket this is rare, but it does happen in rain-curtailed T20 finals where the format doesn't allow for a Super Over. Don't assume a tie always leads to a Super Over. It doesn't.
These rules cover the settlement scenarios we see most often when following SA cricket across the Test, ODI, T20, and SA20 formats. The Proteas' schedule means SA punters are betting on multiple formats across the same season, and the rules shift with the format. Keep a tab open on your operator's house rules page. We link to each one inside our bookmaker reviews.