Cricket Australia has revealed the schedule for the upcoming Big Bash season BBL 13
Cricket Australia has revealed the schedule for the upcoming truncated men’s Big Bash season, featuring an exciting addition of a four-team, four-game finals format for BBL|13.
The double-chance privilege for the top two clubs in the regular season of the Big Bash has been upheld in the newly confirmed KFC BBL finals structure, announced by the league today.
Cricket Australia (CA) has introduced the comprehensive schedule for BBL|13, consisting of 44 games. This includes 40 exhilarating home-and-away matches, along with an exciting revamped four-game finals series that will showcase the top four clubs in contention.
The 13th edition of the tournament will kick off with a clash between last year’s runners-up, Brisbane Heat, and the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba on December 7. This highly anticipated match will take place at 6:15 pm local time in the prime-time slot.
This will mark the third consecutive season that the Melbourne Stars feature in the opening game of the BBL. In the previous two seasons, they were involved in thrilling encounters, including a final-ball thriller against the Sydney Thunder, where they suffered a narrow defeat due to four byes conceded by English wicketkeeper Joe Clarke. The Stars’ opening match last year came after a disappointing performance, being bowled out for just 61 by the Sydney Sixers the season before.
With the exception of the Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes, and the Sydney Thunder, all other teams will play two games in the first week. However, the tournament will then go on a five-day break from December 14 to December 18. This break was strategically planned to avoid clashes with the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, as it would have interfered with the BBL’s prime-time window on the east coast of the country.
The upcoming summer poses several scheduling challenges for the league due to the men’s international fixtures running until mid-February. As a result, the December 7 start date for the BBL is the second earliest in its history, and the final, scheduled for January 24, will have a midweek finish for only the second time.
However, the season structure for BBL|13 has been adjusted to accommodate these challenges. Each club will play 10 home-and-away matches instead of the usual 14, and there will be fewer double-headers compared to the previous season (five instead of 13 in BBL|12). Furthermore, there will be no games scheduled on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, as the league aims to prioritize its marquee matches in prime-time slots. These changes aim to alleviate some of the scheduling concerns faced by the league.
Overall, the BBL|13 promises an exciting and condensed season, filled with thrilling matches and a revised schedule that takes into account various factors to deliver the best possible cricketing experience for fans.
BBL|13 will feature several exciting matchups, including two Sydney Smashes (at the Showground on December 30 and SCG on January 12) and two Melbourne derbies (at the MCG on January 2 and Marvel Stadium on January 13). The Brisbane Heat will have two BBL|12 final rematches against the Perth Scorchers, with the first match held at the Gabba on January 10 and the return leg at Optus Stadium three days later.
The Boxing Day double-header tradition will return, with the Sixers hosting the Stars, and the Scorchers facing off against the Renegades in the west. The Adelaide Strikers will continue their annual New Year’s Eve clash at Adelaide Oval against the Stars.
While there has been speculation about a Christmas Day game, Alistair Dobson, CA’s general manager of Big Bash Leagues, stated that this season’s schedule does not include a Christmas Day match due to the ability to schedule marquee games in the best time slots. Dobson also mentioned that it is not a firm policy, and the option might be explored in future seasons if deemed appropriate.
The home-and-away season will conclude on January 17 with a match between the Sydney Thunder and the Renegades at the Showgrounds, followed by the commencement of the finals two days later.
The Strikers and Heat will face limitations in hosting finals at home due to Australia’s two-Test series against the West Indies, with Tests scheduled in Adelaide from January 17-21 and in Brisbane from January 25-29.
The new four-game finals series will kick off on January 19 with the ‘Qualifier’ match between the first- and second-placed teams, where the winner secures a direct passage to the Final. The ‘Knockout’ match between the third and fourth-placed teams will take place the following night. The winner of the Knockout will then face the loser of the Qualifier in the ‘Challenger’ match on January 22. The winner of the Challenger will earn the opportunity to compete against the winner of the Qualifier for the ultimate prize in the BBL’s prime-time final on January 24.
BBL|13 marks the first season with a four-game finals series, as the previous four seasons featured five teams and five games. The original structure of the first eight editions of the tournament involved four teams playing across three matches, without a double-chance for the top two teams. The new finals series will be completed in six days, compared to the previous structure that required nine days.
Alistair Dobson expressed enthusiasm for the new finals structure, especially the prime-time final during school holidays, which is expected to be a major attraction for fans. The schedule for Weber WBBL|09 is still being finalized and will be announced soon.
Tickets for BBL|13 matches will be available for purchase starting from August 24.
BBL 13 FIXTURES
All times AEDT
Thursday, December 7 – Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, Gabba, 7:15pm
Friday, December 8 – Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades, SCG, 7:15pm
Saturday, December 9 – Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm
Sunday, December 10 – Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, GMHBA Stadium, 7:15pm
Monday, December 11 – Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, University of Tasmania Stadium, 7:15pm
Tuesday, December 12 – Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat, Manuka Oval, 7:15pm
Wednesday, December 13 – Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers, MCG, 7:15pm
Tuesday, December 19 – Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm
Wednesday, December 20 – Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Optus Stadium, 7:15pm
Thursday, December 21 – Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm
Friday, December 22 – Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers, SCG, 7:15pm
Saturday, December 23 – Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, Lavington Sports Ground, 3:30pm
Saturday, December 23 – Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, Blundstone Arena, 7:15pm
Tuesday, December 26 – Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars, SCG, 6:05pm
Tuesday, December 26 – Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades, Optus Stadium, 9:15pm
Wednesday, December 27 – Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, Gabba, 7:15pm
Thursday, December 28 – Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars, Blundstone Arena, 7:15pm
Friday, December 29 – Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers, Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm
Saturday, December 30 – Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, Sydney Showground, 7:15PM
Sunday, December 31 – Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm
Monday, January 1 – Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena, 4pm
Monday, January 1 – Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, Gabba, 7:15pm
Tuesday, January 2 – Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades, MCG, 7:15pm
Wednesday, January 3 – Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat, C.ex Coffs International Stadium, 6:05pm
Wednesday, January 3 – Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, Optus Stadium, 9:15pm
Thursday, January 4 – Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, Marvel Stadium, 7:15pm
Friday, January 5 – Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm
Saturday, January 6 – Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers, MCG, 7:15pm
Sunday, January 7 – Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba, 7:15pm
Monday, January 8 – Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers Sydney, Showground, 7:15pm
Tuesday, January 9 – Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Oval, 7:40pm
Wednesday, January 10 – Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers, Gabba, 7:40pm
Thursday, January 11 – Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena, 7:15pm
Friday, January 12 – Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, SCG, 7:15pm
Saturday, January 13 – Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat, Optus Stadium, 4:15pm
Saturday, January 13 – Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars, Marvel Stadium, 7:30pm
Sunday, January 14 – Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers, Manuka Oval, 7:15pm
Monday, January 15 – Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, MCG, 7:15pm
Tuesday, January 16 – Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers Optus, Stadium, 7:40pm
Wednesday, January 17 – Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Showground, 7:15pm
Friday, January 19 – The Qualifier, TBC
Saturday, January 20 – The Knockout, TBC
Monday, January 22 – The Challenger, TBC
Wednesday, January 24 – The Final, TBC
