11/07/2024
Milestone Weber WBBL|10 season to usher in new era
The Weber WBBL’s milestone Season 10 will herald a new era for the competition, with more marquee matches played in world class stadiums and a revised structure unveiled for the upcoming summer.
The schedule for Weber WBBL|10, announced today, will feature:
• An expanded Stadium Series featuring six matches in four venues
• A WBBL|09 Final rematch to open the season at Adelaide Oval
• The Gabba’s return to the WBBL for the first time since WBBL|04
• A new home ground for Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval
• An optimised 43-game structure - 40 regular season games, three Finals
• Greater proportion of home and away season in prime time
• More ways to watch across The Seven Network, 7plus, FOX SPORTS and Kayo Sports
Media opportunity: Cricket Australia's General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison and Adelaide Strikers player Jemma Barsby will be available to the media at Adelaide Oval at 10:00am ACST today.
The competition’s trailblazing role in elevating women’s sport locally and evolving the game globally will be celebrated throughout WBBL|10.
This will include recognition of those who shaped the WBBL’s early path, the elevation of major matches to showcase the vision for the League’s future, and the introduction of various celebratory initiatives to mark the milestone.
The first of these, alongside today’s schedule announcement, is the release of the Season 10 icon (below). The icon will feature in the build up to and during WBBL|10, providing a symbol of the League’s strength and status in Australian and global sport.
The revamped 43-game Weber WBBL|10 season, where every match counts for more in the title race, will begin on Sunday, October 27. An exciting opening day will feature a triple header, headlined by a rematch of the WBBL|09 Final between defending champions Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval.
Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers will play a second fixture in Adelaide before Perth Scorchers begin their home campaign against Melbourne Stars at the WACA Ground, delivering a feast of wall-to-wall, prime time WBBL action.
Hobart Hurricanes then host Sydney Thunder the following day at Blundstone Arena, ensuring a fast start to the season for all clubs.
The season will then be supercharged via an expanded Stadium Series from November 9 to 16, with four venues to host the headline matches.
The Gabba returns to the WBBL schedule for the first time in six years, with the Heat hosting the Strikers on November 9. The Sydney Cricket Ground (November 10, double header), Melbourne Cricket Ground (November 15, double header) and Adelaide Oval (November 16) will also all take their place in the Stadium Series.
Sixers and Stars will host their annual Sydney Smash and Melbourne Derby respectively during the Stadium Series on the above-mentioned dates, while the Renegades and Thunder will host the return bouts at their home venues on November 9 and 17.
The Thunder’s home Smash will be one of three matchdays at their new base of Drummoyne Oval.
The regular season concludes on Sunday, November 24, with the final game to follow day three of the NRMA Insurance West Test.
The three-match Weber WBBL|10 Finals series will follow, culminating with The Final on Sunday, December 1, hosted by the team that finishes top of the table.
WBBL|10 will be more visible and accessible than ever before under Cricket Australia’s new Media Rights Agreement with Foxtel Group and Seven West Media.
Every WBBL|10 match will be shown live and ad-break free during play on FOX SPORTS, available on Kayo Sports. This includes exclusively delivering 20 matches for the first time.
The Seven Network will broadcast 23 WBBL|10 matches, including all Finals, on its free-to-air channels. In another first, those matches will also be available on the 7plus digital platform.
Woolworths Cricket Blast Round, celebrating the joy of cricket, promoting active lifestyles and nurturing the future of Australian cricket, will return once again in WBBL|10. Dates for the round will be confirmed soon.
Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s General Manager, Big Bash Leagues, said:
“The Weber WBBL|10 schedule is the perfect platform to celebrate our growth and forge a new era for the world’s best cricket league for women.
“By optimising the season to 43 games, we will deliver fans more marquee matches in big stadiums, an improved broadcast footprint and a more even spread of matches throughout the competition.
“Additionally, the launch of our WBBL|10 icon solidifies this season’s status as a historic milestone for both our competition and the women’s game globally.
“This is underpinned by the commitment of our Clubs, the Australian Cricketers’ Association, broadcasters The Seven Network and FOX SPORTS, League partners Weber, CommBank, KFC and Toyota, venues around the country and state and territory governments to driving the WBBL forward. We thank them for their support.”
Chris Jones, Seven’s Director of Network Sport, said:
“The WBBL remains the highest quality women’s T20 competition in the world and the 7Cricket team can’t wait to help bring the league to life. Last year, the Big Bash was back, crowds and ratings were up. And this year’s dynamic fixture will ensure it’s even bigger and better.
"With 7plus now also streaming the W/BBL, every Australian can have access to our coverage. We’re excited to trial some new innovations through 7plus and tell even more stories via the 7Cricket hub on the digital platform.”
Matt Weiss, Fox Cricket's General Manager, said:
“We are proud of our ongoing partnership with Cricket Australia, sharing a joint vision to elevate and expand the reach of women’s cricket. This collaboration continues to drive the sport forward, and we are excited about the future.
"In recent seasons, we have introduced several key innovations, including broadcasting the inaugural WBBL Draft and expanding our coverage from 23 games to every single game. This year, we are offering unparalleled coverage. Foxtel and Kayo are the only destinations to watch every WBBL game, featuring 20 exclusive matches and no ad breaks during play. What a season we have ahead!"
