The 2014 English County Cricket Championship

The 2014 Cricket County Championship has a long way to go yet, having only gotten underway at the start of April, but of course betting started on it much sooner – and most bookmakers released early odds well before a bat touched a cricket ball in earnest. At the moment the side that could be described as the hot favourite is Sussex, as you can get odds of as low as 3/1 on them to win the title this year, but to think that this makes gambling on them a safe wager would be seriously mistaken – as there are plenty of other sides also amongst the favourites.

The county that claimed the crown last season, Durham, are fifth favourites – which might at first seem a little strange. However their odds of 6/1 show that there is little between several sides in terms of the odds being offered by bookies. This is partly a reflection of how strong several counties competing in the championship are, and partly down to the fact that it is simply to early in the competition for the sports betting sites to say with much accuracy who the clear favourites are. This makes gambling right now particularly risky, and there is a lot to be said for holding off until further into the tournament, as you can play games like The Umpire Strikes Back while you are waiting.

Despite the Star Wars pun in the title, there is nothing science fiction about this online casino slot. It is very much cricket all the way and can be found at Gaming Club. In fact, it actually mixes the sports theme and animated video graphics of modern slots with elements of old-fashioned fruit machines – right down to the reels combining helmets, cricket bats and pads, with fruit symbols. However the various featured bonuses, including an additional game, and the wild symbol to help you score a payout, are very much typical of the slots you get at modern online and mobile casino sites – ensuring there is nothing antiquated about The Umpire Strikes Back.