Method of dismissal betting is a bet on how a batter will be out, or how a team's first wicket will fall: caught, bowled, leg before wicket (lbw), run out, stumped, or a rarer way in the Laws of Cricket. Caught is usually the shortest price, because more kinds of false shot end in a catch than in any other way out. Every bet here is placed before the first ball.
Ways out in the Laws of Cricket
The Laws (2017 Code, 4th Edition, in force from 1 October 2026) list nine ways out, and a market may group the rare ones as other:
| Way out | Law | Credited to the bowler |
|---|---|---|
| Caught, including by the wicketkeeper | 33 | Yes |
| Bowled | 32 | Yes |
| Leg before wicket | 36 | Yes |
| Stumped | 39 | Yes |
| Hit wicket | 35 | Yes |
| Run out, including a non-striker out of the crease early | 38 | No |
| Hit the ball twice, obstructing the field, timed out | 34, 37 and 40 | No |
Where two ways fit one ball, the Laws pick one: bowled beats everything (Law 32.2), caught beats all but bowled (Law 33.5), and stumped beats run out (Law 39.1.2). So an edge that breaks the wicket and carries to slip is bowled, not caught.
Not out, did not bat and void rules
A named batter can finish not out, never bat or retire. Rule types to check:
| What happens | How a market can settle it |
|---|---|
| The batter is not out | Refunded; or not out is a selection, so every way out loses |
| The batter never bats | Refunded; or the bet stands and loses under an all-in rule |
| Retires hurt and never returns | Recorded as retired not out (Law 25.4.2), so the not-out rule applies |
| Retires for any other reason | Retired out unless allowed to resume (Law 25.4.3), which a market may class as other |
The NSW rules for authorised bookmakers count a player who retires for any reason but injury as out (clause 5.2.2.1(b)). In next batsman out betting, such as which opener goes first, they void bets on a pair still together at the end of the innings, or split by a retirement hurt (clauses 5.2.2.1(c) and (d)). The same questions decide player runs betting.
Why caught is usually the shortest price
Caught takes in more routes than any other way out: edges to the keeper and slips, and miscued shots held anywhere. Bowled and lbw need the ball to hit, or be going on to hit, the stumps, and lbw has five conditions to meet (Law 36.1). A stumping needs the batter out of the crease, and a run out needs a batter short of the crease when the wicket is broken.
Example: a count of 200 dismissals in one format. Illustrative numbers, not measured data.
| Way out | Count | Share | Fair price (1 / share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caught | 124 | 62.0% | $1.61 |
| Bowled | 30 | 15.0% | $6.67 |
| Lbw | 28 | 14.0% | $7.14 |
| Run out | 10 | 5.0% | $20.00 |
| Stumped | 5 | 2.5% | $40.00 |
| Other | 3 | 1.5% | $66.67 |
Take a real count from official scorecards in the format you bet on, and if not out is a selection, price its chance first and share out the rest. A first wicket method market is the dismissal side of fall of first wicket betting, and top bowler betting uses the credit column above.
Comparing prices once the rules match
Not-out rules differ, so match them before you compare dismissal prices. The Terminal's sports board covers head to head, line and total markets, plus player props where bookmakers offer them, and it reads prices on a repeating cycle, so confirm a price with your bookmaker. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds, and cricket betting covers the wider cricket card.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A share from past scorecards is an estimate, not a forecast, and a not-out rule can turn a right read into a loss. See responsible gambling for limits and support.