The Big Bash League has confirmed revisions to its BBL Finals series structure, designed to safeguard the matches against the potential impacts of COVID-19.
A five-match Finals series, beginning this Friday, January 21 remains but changes have been made to the hosting structure of those games.
All Finals matches will be broadcast live on Seven, Foxtel, Kayo and SEN.
The finalists were confirmed after the final BBL games were played in the regular season.
The day featured a record-breaking display of T20 power hitting from the Melbourne Stars and its captain Glenn Maxwell.
Maxwell hit the highest ever BBL score as the Melbourne Stars posted the third-highest total in T20 cricket to sign off another unsuccessful season with a massive win against the Hurricanes. Despite Maxwell’s 164 of just 64 balls at the MCG and his sides record-breaking innings total of 2-273, his team did not qualify for the finals.
BBL Finals: Week One
All three matches scheduled for the first week of the KFC BBL|11 Finals on January 21, 22 and 23 will be held in Melbourne.
Clubs have been primarily based in Victoria since January 10, providing greater optionality in addressing scheduling challenges. The League has elected to keep participants in Melbourne for the first week of the Finals to reduce the health risks associated with travel and any potential impacts on the series.
As the team that finished on top of the table, Perth Scorchers were given the opportunity to select their preferred home venue for The Qualifier and nominated Marvel Stadium for that match. As such, the other week one matches will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The schedule for week one is:
• The Eliminator – January 21, 7:15pm AEDT: Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Cricket Ground
• The Qualifier – January 22, 7:15pm AEDT: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers, Marvel Stadium
• The Knockout – January 23, 7:15pm AEDT: Sydney Thunder v winner of The Eliminator, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Week Two
The remaining Finals matches, scheduled for January 26 and 28, will be held at the nominated home venues of the participating clubs.
As per the current KFC BBL|11 ladder, teams in contention to host week two matches include:
Perth Scorchers – Marvel Stadium
Sydney Sixers – Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Thunder – Sydney Showground Stadium
Hobart Hurricanes – Blundstone Arena
The schedule for week two is:
• The Challenger – January 26, 7:25pm AEDT: Loser of The Qualifier v winner of The Knockout
• The Final – January 28, 7:40pm AEDT: Winner of The Qualifier v winner of The Challenger
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, said:
“The KFC BBL|11 Finals series will be an exciting conclusion to a season that has provided fantastic moments on the field, coupled with unprecedented challenges off it.
“The League’s firm belief is that we must work together with our Clubs to do all we can to protect the Finals series using the lessons from the season so far.
“As such, we have made the difficult decision to stage the first week of the Finals series in Melbourne. This decision provides all participating Clubs the best possible chance of participating in a Finals match with the strongest squad available.
“We thank all our fans nationwide for their support throughout KFC BBL|11 and look forward to seeing all who can make it at the Finals series.”
Big Bash League statement: Perth Scorchers rules breach
Ahead of the finals, Perth Scorchers have been found guilty of a breach of the W/BBL Player Contracting and Remuneration Rules (Rules) at a Cricket Australia Code of Conduct Commission hearing on Tuesday, January 18.
The Scorchers fielded Central Local Replacement Player Brayden Stepien during their KFC Big Bash League match against the Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide Oval on Friday, January 14. Stepien kept wicket for 14 overs during the Strikers’ batting innings despite not being part of the Scorchers’ 18-player squad.
Stepien was an ineligible player for the match and as such, the decision to field Stepien was a breach of the Rules.
The penalty for the Scorchers would be the deduction of their Bash Boost point earned on the night. He noted the unique and challenging circumstances of the current KFC Big Bash League season and the low impact of this breach.
(For clarity, the Bash Boost point from that match will not be awarded to the Strikers.)