Although it is still very much a minority sport in Nigeria, cricket has a long history in the country and is steadily growing in popularity today. The nation played its first international Test match in 1904 and its official Association was formed in 1957, before it joined the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2002 and its U19 team reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 2019.
In part as a result of this recent success, more and more Nigerians are turning to cricket for their sporting entertainment. What’s more, the advent of simulated cricket is attracting a younger audience to the sport, since a familiarity with technology, a penchant for gambling and, of course, a burgeoning interest in the game itself is making simulated reality league (SRL) cricket more popular. But what exactly is it?
The basics of SRL cricket
As the name suggests, SRL cricket is not based on actual events, but rather simulations of matches between real teams containing real players. Indeed, the outcomes of the simulated ties are determined by real historical data, since the SRL depends on countless data points from the last 200 matches played by each team.
SRL cricket follows the T20 format, which is the one most popular in Nigeria, and means that every match consists of 20 overs containing six balls apiece. While this type of match would normally last for three hours or more in real life, the elimination of time-wasting distractions (such as players moving into position, tactical delays and rain stopping play) means that every SRL match lasts just two hours.
It should be emphasized that SLR cricket is not just a mere analysis of historical data, but rather a simulated interpretation of it. That means that two SRL matches based upon the same sources of information could yield completely different results. It’s this element of unpredictability that stays true to cricket’s nature of being “a game of glorious uncertainties” – and which makes it so exciting to bet on.
What are the advantages of betting on SRL cricket?
Perhaps the most obvious advantage of SRL cricket compared to its real-life counterpart is its reliability. For example, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 brought sport around the globe to a standstill for many months, leaving cricketing fans with no entertainment to sustain them through the difficulties of lockdown. SRL cricket was on hand to provide an enjoyable distraction.
Secondly, SRL cricket is immediately accessible. With matches taking place all the time, fans can log onto their favourite online casino and look up simulated reality league live scores right away, including the Big Bash League simulation. There are few sporting pastimes which are available to bet on whenever the fancy might take you.
Finally, SRL cricket is convenient in the time it takes for a match to conclude. Whereas stoppages can occur in real life cricket due to inclement weather, player injuries or some other factor, those kinds of annoyances are simply not relevant for SRL. As well as placing bets on the overall outcome of ties, fans can also lay down more targeted wagers in the opening and final innings, too, thus adding more spice to proceedings.
Have you experienced the fun of SRL cricket yet? If not, there’s no time like the present to see what all the fuss is about.
