Big Bash League unveils 40-match schedule, new IPL playoffs-style Finals Series for 13th season

Brisbane, July 6 (IANS) Last year’s finalists, Brisbane Heat will face off against the Melbourne Stars at the Gabba here on December 7 in the opening match of the 13th season of the Big Bash League (BBL|13) as per the schedule announced on Thursday, unveiling a new-look 40-match fixture and four-game finals series.

The league will start a week earlier and the regular season will conclude at Sydney Showground Stadium when Sydney Thunder host Melbourne Renegades. 

The new-look four-match Finals Series, similar to the one in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will begin two days later, with the Final to be held during the school holidays on January 24, the Big Bash Leagues, announced on Thursday. 

The Finals Series will see the top two teams compete for a spot in the Final via The Qualifier, with the third and fourth-placed teams taking part in The Knockout. The winner of the Knockout will progress to the Challenger, alongside the loser of The Qualifier; the winner progressing to the Final. 

Fans will be treated to 35 nights of Big Bash cricket in prime time, with host broadcaster Seven showing 30 KFC BBL|13 matches live. 

The schedule includes two Boxing Day blockbusters, with the Sydney Sixers hosting the Melbourne Stars and the Perth Scorchers taking on the Melbourne Renegades. It also includes a New Year’s Day double-header with the Hobart Hurricanes hosting the Sydney Thunder (Blundstone) and the Brisbane Heat welcoming the Sydney Sixers for the second annual New Year’s Bash at the Gabba. 

Alistair Dobson, General Manager, Big Bash Leagues said: “We’re incredibly pleased and excited with the BBL fixture we’ve been able to deliver this season, with an array of highlights for fans to embrace throughout the summer period.

“The BBL season will again complement the overall shape of this summer’s cricket schedule, and with the season starting on December 7 this season, a week earlier than usual, we’ve got a tremendous opportunity to engage with communities and connect with fans across seven blockbuster nights of Big Bash ahead of the first Men’s Test in Perth.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the new finals structure in action, culminating in a prime-time Final during the school holidays which is a real win for fans," Dobson was quoted as saying in a release.

He also informed that the plans for the ninth edition of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) will be announced next week.

“We’re working through the final details of the Weber WBBL|09 schedule and look forward to unveiling it in the coming week.”