What is First Wicket Method? First Wicket Method Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
19/04/2026
As the name suggests, first wicket method is the way in which a fielding side are able to get the first wicket of an innings or a match. Officially there are 10 different methods of dismissal but some of them occur only rarely – the most common being bowled, caught, run out and leg before wicket (LBW). Our cricket betting strategy guide was designed to teach you more about the game and how to successfully bet on it.
How is First Wicket Method used in Sports Betting?
Cricket betting is a very betting area, as with any format of the game there are a large number of markets offered – from the smallest detail to the outright winner. First wicket method is a great way to start of betting on cricket as it is very easy to understand and does not need a great deal of expertise and knowledge to predict.
As it is the first wicket of a match the batting player will usually be the best in the team – and the same with the bowler. This usually results in the first wicket method being bowled, caught or LBW. These will be the selections with the shortest odds and some of the more uncommon methods may not have a price at all.
Although experienced cricket bettors will know if a particular bowler is well known for teasing a shot from batsmen to get a catch – or if a batting player is susceptible to a certain kind of delivery – the first wicket method is many times more reliant on guesswork than relying on studying any form.
To bet on any cricket match, have a look at all of the legal online bookmakers in your area.
Did You Know...
It will probably not be selected by many bettors as a first wicket method pick but there have been five occasions where a batting player has been dismissed by being timed out. The official rule is that a player will be dismissed if they wilfully take longer than three minutes to face the next delivery.
