T20 match guide: phases, match-ups and momentum

Field restrictions push the scoring rate up, and the chance of wickets rises with it. Prices often overreact to one expensive over in this phase.

Spin and containment take over. Teams that keep wickets in hand through this phase are best placed for the death overs.

Two set batters facing a part-time bowler can turn a chase in three overs. The biggest price swings of the match happen here.

Left-arm spin against a top order of right-handers, or a power hitter facing slower balls, can shift expected runs more than overall form does.

In men's T20 internationals, only two fielders may stand outside the 30-yard circle during the six powerplay overs. From the seventh over, up to five can go out. That's why boundaries come easily early and why scoring usually dips once the field spreads. Leagues can tweak the details.

Two numbers matter more than the score: the required rate and wickets in hand. Needing 60 off 36 balls with seven wickets left is very different from the same target with three wickets left, because the second side can't afford to attack.

• Wickets in hand decide how freely a side can attack at the death.
• A set batter on 40 is worth more than a new batter, because the first few balls are hardest.
• Overs left for the opposition's best bowlers show how hard the last phase will be.

Boundary size, pitch pace and evening dew all shift what a par score looks like. Dew often helps the side batting second in night games. A flat pitch with short boundaries can make 190 chaseable, while a slow turner can make 150 a good total.

Decide before the match which phase you understand best and bet there, rather than reacting to every over. Powerplay prices swing on single boundaries, so small stakes suit that phase. On Goexch you can also lay a team after a big over if you think the market has overreacted.