Fantasy Cricket for Beginners: An 8-Point Checklist Before the Deadline

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1. 1. Are the line-ups out?
2. 2. Who bats where?
3. 3. What does the pitch do?
4. 4. Who bowls the important overs?
5. 5. Is my captain involved in both innings?
6. 6. Do I have one differential?
7. 7. Is my team balanced between the sides?
8. 8. Is this within my budget?

Most fantasy cricket teams are lost before the first ball, not during the match. The same handful of avoidable mistakes sinks them every time. Run through this checklist before each deadline and you will already be ahead of half the contest.

1. Are the line-ups out?

A player who is not in the playing eleven scores zero. The match card on Drem shows when line-ups are announced. If you built your team the night before, open it again after the toss.

2. Who bats where?

Points follow balls faced. An opener in a T20 may face 30 balls; a number seven may face five. Pick batters by their position in the order today, not by their career average.

3. What does the pitch do?

A flat pitch and a small ground mean runs: load up on top-order batters. A slow, low or turning pitch means wickets: spinners and cutters come into their own. Scores at the venue in recent matches tell you most of what you need.

4. Who bowls the important overs?

Bowlers who take the new ball and bowl at the death have the most chances to take wickets. A bowler who delivers two quiet overs in the middle rarely scores well.

5. Is my captain involved in both innings?

Your captain’s points are multiplied, so pick the player with the most ways to score. All-rounders who bat in the top five and bowl their full quota are the classic choice.

6. Do I have one differential?

In a big contest, thousands of teams contain the same six stars. You climb the table with the player the others left out: an in-form opener from the weaker side, or a bowler suited to this particular pitch.

7. Is my team balanced between the sides?

Stacking nine players from the favourite feels safe and is not. If they bat second and chase a small target, half your batters never get to the crease.

8. Is this within my budget?

Decide what you are spending on the match before you look at the prize pools, not after. A large pool is shared between a large number of teams.

Ready to put it into practice? Our guide to fantasy cricket on Drem walks through the screens, and the welcome bonus includes a fantasy voucher to start with.