SCG, MCG off the menu in WBBL fixture change up
Squeezed by ICC events at one end and the men's BBL at the other, the tournament will be played through a five-week window again this summer.
Brisbane will host the Melbourne Renegades in the November 9 opener, one week after the 50-over women's World Cup final in India.
The final will then be played on December 13, the night before the men's competition kicks off in Perth.
The result means officials have again been forced to squeeze in 15 mid-week matches, with that number a slight reduction on last year's 17.
But the biggest change in the schedule is the lack of matches in big stadiums on the east coast.
Cricket Australia had invested heavily in marketing the events in recent years, only for crowds in the 5000s for the two double-headers at the MCG in the past two seasons.
The SCG fared slightly better, with 7118 through the gates for a double-header in 2023-24 before another double-header was played there last season.
Officials have opted against playing at either of the venues this year while prioritising North Sydney Oval, Drummoyne and Junction Oval in Melbourne.
The Gabba is also unavailable for the Brisbane Heat due to the lead up to the Ashes Test, while the Strikers will feature in a late-season double-header at Adelaide Oval after success there.
"Each season when we look at the schedule we look at the balance of the venues and the right opportunities to promote those games," BBL boss Alistair Dobson said.
"We enjoy playing in bigger stadiums for the past couple of seasons and look forward to being back at the Adelaide Oval again this year.
"The other games, largely due to scheduling reasons and the need to optimise those games in the big stadiums, we haven't found the right spots for them this year.
"But that's not to say it won't be in the future as the world's best cricket in the world's best stadiums is still part of our thinking going forward."
Officials did have the option of playing the final as a double-header with men's BBL tournament opener, but decided against it.
Such a move would have left the risk of the highest qualifier not being able to host the WBBL's showpiece event, while also meaning it would not have been a prime-time fixture for TV audiences.
"The WBBL is the world's best cricket league and one of the world's best cricket leagues and one of the most watched and popular sports leagues in Australia," Dobson said.
"We think that warrants having it in its own standalone and it's own prime-time audiences in the cricket calendar."
Cricket Australia has moved away from its big-stadium experiment for east-coast WBBL games, with no matches at the MCG or SCG in this summer's schedule.
Squeezed by ICC events at one end and the men's BBL at the other, the tournament will be played through a five-week window again this summer.
Brisbane will host the Melbourne Renegades in the November 9 opener, one week after the 50-over women's World Cup final in India.
The final will then be played on December 13, the night before the men's competition kicks off in Perth.
The result means officials have again been forced to squeeze in 15 mid-week matches, with that number a slight reduction on last year's 17.
But the biggest change in the schedule is the lack of matches in big stadiums on the east coast.
Cricket Australia had invested heavily in marketing the events in recent years, only for crowds in the 5000s for the two double-headers at the MCG in the past two seasons.
The SCG fared slightly better, with 7118 through the gates for a double-header in 2023-24 before another double-header was played there last season.
Officials have opted against playing at either of the venues this year while prioritising North Sydney Oval, Drummoyne and Junction Oval in Melbourne.
The Gabba is also unavailable for the Brisbane Heat due to the lead up to the Ashes Test, while the Strikers will feature in a late-season double-header at Adelaide Oval after success there.
"Each season when we look at the schedule we look at the balance of the venues and the right opportunities to promote those games," BBL boss Alistair Dobson said.
"We enjoy playing in bigger stadiums for the past couple of seasons and look forward to being back at the Adelaide Oval again this year.
"The other games, largely due to scheduling reasons and the need to optimise those games in the big stadiums, we haven't found the right spots for them this year.
"But that's not to say it won't be in the future as the world's best cricket in the world's best stadiums is still part of our thinking going forward."
Officials did have the option of playing the final as a double-header with men's BBL tournament opener, but decided against it.
Such a move would have left the risk of the highest qualifier not being able to host the WBBL's showpiece event, while also meaning it would not have been a prime-time fixture for TV audiences.
"The WBBL is the world's best cricket league and one of the world's best cricket leagues and one of the most watched and popular sports leagues in Australia," Dobson said.
"We think that warrants having it in its own standalone and it's own prime-time audiences in the cricket calendar."
Cricket Australia has moved away from its big-stadium experiment for east-coast WBBL games, with no matches at the MCG or SCG in this summer's schedule.
Squeezed by ICC events at one end and the men's BBL at the other, the tournament will be played through a five-week window again this summer.
Brisbane will host the Melbourne Renegades in the November 9 opener, one week after the 50-over women's World Cup final in India.
The final will then be played on December 13, the night before the men's competition kicks off in Perth.
The result means officials have again been forced to squeeze in 15 mid-week matches, with that number a slight reduction on last year's 17.
But the biggest change in the schedule is the lack of matches in big stadiums on the east coast.
Cricket Australia had invested heavily in marketing the events in recent years, only for crowds in the 5000s for the two double-headers at the MCG in the past two seasons.
The SCG fared slightly better, with 7118 through the gates for a double-header in 2023-24 before another double-header was played there last season.
Officials have opted against playing at either of the venues this year while prioritising North Sydney Oval, Drummoyne and Junction Oval in Melbourne.
The Gabba is also unavailable for the Brisbane Heat due to the lead up to the Ashes Test, while the Strikers will feature in a late-season double-header at Adelaide Oval after success there.
"Each season when we look at the schedule we look at the balance of the venues and the right opportunities to promote those games," BBL boss Alistair Dobson said.
"We enjoy playing in bigger stadiums for the past couple of seasons and look forward to being back at the Adelaide Oval again this year.
"The other games, largely due to scheduling reasons and the need to optimise those games in the big stadiums, we haven't found the right spots for them this year.
"But that's not to say it won't be in the future as the world's best cricket in the world's best stadiums is still part of our thinking going forward."
Officials did have the option of playing the final as a double-header with men's BBL tournament opener, but decided against it.
Such a move would have left the risk of the highest qualifier not being able to host the WBBL's showpiece event, while also meaning it would not have been a prime-time fixture for TV audiences.
"The WBBL is the world's best cricket league and one of the world's best cricket leagues and one of the most watched and popular sports leagues in Australia," Dobson said.
"We think that warrants having it in its own standalone and it's own prime-time audiences in the cricket calendar."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
13 hours ago
- 7NEWS
‘Left it a while': Bend It Like Beckham director confirms sequel plans
A sequel to the 2002 sports-drama movie Bend It Like Beckham is in the works. The film, which starred Keira Knightley, Parminder Nagra and Johnathan Rhys-Meyers, is widely credited with inspiring a generation of women to play football, and director Gurinder Chadha thinks now is the perfect moment to launch a sequel. 'We've been part of changing the game for women, so it felt like this was a good time for me to go back and investigate the characters,' the 65-year-old filmmaker told the BBC. The England women's team has enjoyed significant success in recent years and faced Spain in the final of Euro 2025 overnight, a repeat of the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Australia won 1-0 by the Spanish. Chadha says attitudes towards women's football have changed since the first movie, but admits more progress is needed. 'A lot has changed since the original movie, but I think that people still don't think that women should play football,' she says. 'There are people who still don't take it seriously, although the Lionesses are riding high. 'I've left it a while, but I thought: look at the Euros, look at the Lionesses.' Chadha hopes the sequel will spread a positive message and 'challenge' stereotypes. 'What I did was say you can do what you want, and you can have it all, and I think that's a really great message to put out again,' she says. 'I think there's still stuff to say, and stuff to challenge.' Bend It Like Beckham proved to be a big moment in Keira Knightley's career, but the actress previously revealed that her friends scoffed at the idea of making the movie. During an appearance on The Tonight Show, she told host Jimmy Fallon: 'I literally remember telling people I was doing it and it's called Bend It Like Beckham, and them going, 'Oh that's really embarrassing'. And they were all like, 'Don't worry. Nobody will see it. It's fine.'' Knightley noted that 'women's soccer was not as big' in 2002 as it is now, and so her friends assumed that the movie would flop at the box office. 'Women's soccer was not as big back then, and so the idea of the whole thing was sort of ridiculous,' she says. Despite this, the film proved its doubters wrong, earning more than $70 million at the box office and even inspiring a musical adaptation. And Knightley — who also starred in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise — is still constantly reminded of her role in the movie by fans. 'It's amazing because it's still the film even today, you know, if someone comes up to talk to me about my work, it's that one,' she says. 'It's so loved. It's amazing.'
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Australia were in trouble. Then Tim David blasted a record-breaking century
Tim David has smashed the fastest international century by an Australian in history, bringing up triple figures from just 37 balls in a jaw-dropping T20 run chase that sealed a dominant series victory over the West Indies. Set 215 for victory, Australia overcame a shaky start at 3-61 from 5.5 overs following the early dismissals of Glenn Maxwell (20 off seven), Josh Inglis (15 off six) and Mitch Marsh (22 off 19), before David launched one of the most destructive innings ever seen in national colours. David had a relatively modest start to his innings, reaching eight off five balls, before exploding from there to reach a half century in 16 balls, one delivery faster than 17-ball efforts from Marcus Stoinis (against Sri Lanka in 2022) and Travis Head (against Scotland in 2024). Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball half century is the fastest in a T20 international by a player from a major nation. David's blistering knock included four consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie in a 10th over that went for 28 runs. Far from slogging recklessly, David was so in control that he turned down singles to keep the strike from Mitch Owen at the other end. Owen, who hit a 39-ball hundred in this year's BBL final for the Hobart Hurricanes, played second fiddle as David punished a poor West Indian attack. After racing to 82 off 26 balls, David briefly rotated the strike before finishing with a flourish, hitting a boundary to fine leg to finish unbeaten on 102 from 37 balls. David hit 11 sixes, with only Aaron Finch (14) clubbing more during his 156 off 63 balls against England in 2013. Australia chased down the target with 23 balls to spare, with David and Owen (36 not out off 16) combining for a 128-run stand – the highest fifth-wicket partnership in Australian T20I history.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia were in trouble. Then Tim David blasted a record-breaking century
Tim David has smashed the fastest international century by an Australian in history, bringing up triple figures from just 37 balls in a jaw-dropping T20 run chase that sealed a dominant series victory over the West Indies. Set 215 for victory, Australia overcame a shaky start at 3-61 from 5.5 overs following the early dismissals of Glenn Maxwell (20 off seven), Josh Inglis (15 off six) and Mitch Marsh (22 off 19), before David launched one of the most destructive innings ever seen in national colours. David had a relatively modest start to his innings, reaching eight off five balls, before exploding from there to reach a half century in 16 balls, one delivery faster than 17-ball efforts from Marcus Stoinis (against Sri Lanka in 2022) and Travis Head (against Scotland in 2024). Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball half century is the fastest in a T20 international by a player from a major nation. David's blistering knock included four consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie in a 10th over that went for 28 runs. Far from slogging recklessly, David was so in control that he turned down singles to keep the strike from Mitch Owen at the other end. Owen, who hit a 39-ball hundred in this year's BBL final for the Hobart Hurricanes, played second fiddle as David punished a poor West Indian attack. After racing to 82 off 26 balls, David briefly rotated the strike before finishing with a flourish, hitting a boundary to fine leg to finish unbeaten on 102 from 37 balls. David hit 11 sixes, with only Aaron Finch (14) clubbing more during his 156 off 63 balls against England in 2013. Australia chased down the target with 23 balls to spare, with David and Owen (36 not out off 16) combining for a 128-run stand – the highest fifth-wicket partnership in Australian T20I history.
