BBL fixtures, 2024-25 schedule – BBL window for Australia Test players after India series

Admin July 11, 2024

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BBL fixtures, 2024-25 schedule – BBL window for Australia Test players after India series

BBL officials remain hopeful that Australia’s Test players will be able to feature in the final phase of the regular season in January, although availability will drop significantly after the five-Test series against India.

With Australia set to tour Sri Lanka for two Tests starting in late January, players from that squad will not be available for the BBL finals from January 21-27. India’s series ends on January 7 in Sydney with the BBL’s final ten-day home-and-away window where the Test stars can play, but it seems unlikely that it will bring the bowlers together any time soon.

BBL fixtures are confirmed on Friday as the season kicks off on December 15 – the second day of the Brisbane Test – with the final being played on January 27, the public holiday after Australia Day.

“We’ve seen over the last few seasons the impact these local heroes have had when they come back to the BBL,” Alistair Dobson, head of the BBL, told ESPNcricinfo. “We have given ourselves a very good opportunity this year by looking at planning the window after the SCG test before our team goes to Sri Lanka so that the players can play more matches.

“We’ve given ourselves a chance. That means the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is probably the toughest Test series our players will play in and that’s where they’re focused. We’ll work with them as the series progresses. They understand what they can do and whether they can play. BBL games We know they want and we hope to see a lot of them again.

Last season some of Australia’s Test players made brief appearances between Pakistan and the West Indies series.

The BBL has introduced a new mechanism that allows clubs to sign contracted Australian players outside of their 18-man squad with the ability to bring them in if available. Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) and Mitchell Starc (Sydney Sixers) took up this option but did not play for their clubs. It has been ten years since Starc last played in the BBL in 2014, while Cummins last appeared in 2019.

Last season Steven Smith played twice for the Sydney Sixers, Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne twice for the Brisbane Heat and Alex Carey once for the Adelaide Strikers. Travis Head was going to play for the Strikers but was rested by Cricket Australia and Nathan Lyon did not appear for his new team Melbourne Renegades.

The arrangement of international players is expected to take place at the beginning of September as clubs are able to sign a player before a multi-year contract is written.

The Scorchers will launch the season

The Perth Scorchers will host the opening match of the 2024-25 season against the Melbourne Stars at Optus Stadium. Once the BBL starts there will be only two nights during the regular season – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – when games will not be played. With the Perth Test followed by a day/night match in Adelaide, broadcast in the east coast market, the first two of the series against India, means the BBL then gets a clear run of the evening timeslot once it starts. .

The Strikers will host their traditional match at Adelaide Oval on New Year’s Day (against the Scorchers) while Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars are on New Year’s Day. Defending champions the Heat will begin their campaign by playing away to the Stars on December 18.

The Boxing Day double header will follow the first day of the MCG Test with the Sixers playing the Stars followed by the Scorchers and the Heat and there will be another double header after the first day of the SCG Test on January 3.

Geelong gets another chance

One of the biggest controversies last season was the abandoned game in Geelong between the Renegades and the Scorchers when the wet pitch was deemed dangerous. But there was a show of faith in GMHBA Stadium which will host the Renegades’ first game at home against the Hurricanes on December 19. The Renegades’ next four games will be at Marvel Stadium.

December 15: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
December 16: Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades, SCG (7.15pm)
December 17: Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 18: Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, MCG (7.15pm)
December 19: Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, GMHBA Stadium (7.15pm)
December 20: Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 21: Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
December 21: Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 22: Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 23: Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
December 26: Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars, SCG (6.05pm)
December 26: Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat, Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
December 27: Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
December 28: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, Manuka Oval (7.15pm)
December 29: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, Gabba (6.15pm)
December 30: Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
December 31: Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval (6.45pm)
January 1: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, Blundstone Arena (4.00pm)
January 1: Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, Gabba (6.15pm)
January 2: Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 3: Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat, Coffs Harbor (6.05pm)
January 3: Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder, Optus Stadium (6.15pm)
January 4: Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades, MCG (7.15pm)
January 5: Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 6: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, Gabba (6.15pm)
January 7: Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades, Optus Stadium (4.15pm)
January 8: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, ENGIE Stadium (7.15pm)
January 9: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers, MCG (7.15pm)
January 10: Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena (7.15pm)
January 11: Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers, SCG (4.45pm)
January 11: Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval (7.30pm)
January 12: Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars, Marvel Stadium (7.15pm)
January 13: Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers, ENGIE Stadium (7.30pm)
January 14: Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, Blundstone Arena (7.30pm)
January 15: Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval (7.00pm)
January 16: Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba (6.30pm)
January 17: Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, SCG (7.15pm)
January 18: Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, Marvel Stadium (5.00pm)
January 18: Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, Optus Stadium (5.15pm)
January 19: Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, MCG (7.15pm)
January 21: Qualifiers (1 vs 2)
January 22: The Knockout (3 vs 4)
January 24: Challenger (Qualifier loser vs Knockout winner)
January 27: Final (Booking Day, January 28)