What is Night Watchmancricket? Night Watchmancricket Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
19/04/2026
In cricket a night watchman is the name given to a lower order batsman who comes in to play near the end of the day in the place of a higher ranked batting player. The idea is that it would be worse for the team to lose another wicket in what might be worsening conditions.
The night watchman is usually a bowler who has good defensive technique when it comes to batting, although some night watchmen are sent in to bat regardless of the strength of their defensive technique.
How is Night Watchman used in Sports Betting?
There are not usually any specific sports betting markets relating to night watchman as it is not something that can be planned for before a match. But once they have gone into bat the same markets apply that would for any other player.
As the night watchman is an inferior batting player they are not expected to score many runs. The main reason for using them is to see out a day’s play in the evening and then take the first few overs the next morning before getting out and allowing the original next batsman to play in the best conditions possible. It is therefore unlikely that these players will make many runs and the prices for any other eventuality will be much longer.
A night watchman who lacks defensive technique also brings into play the method of next dismissal bet more than a specialist batter.
Did You Know...
Fast bowler Jason Gillespie can be regarded as the best night watchman of all time after he scored an incredible 201 not out after coming into bat at the end of day two of Australia’s 2006 test match with Bangladesh in Chittagong. The Aussies finished on 581/4 and eventually won the match by an innings and 80 runs, taking the series 2-0.
