BBL to kickstart on December 3 amid Australia-India series
The 10th season of the Big Bash League (BBL) will kick off on December 3 2020, Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday (July 15). The final will be played on February 6 2021.
Incidentally, this year’s BBL will coincide with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India. While the BBL will be underway in Adelaide, Australia and India will have completed Day 1 of the 1st Test in Brisbane.
The tournament is slated to begin more than two weeks earlier than it did last year. For the first time in history, it will be played for over 2 months. As per the fixtures released by CA, Adelaide Oval will host the opener between Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades.
“While the COVID-19 pandemic may yet force alterations to the summer of cricket, today’s announcement confirms the commitment to a full 61-game schedule, including the return of the five-team finals format,” the CA said in a statement on its website.
Of the 61 matches, 56 will be played in the latter half of the day. There will be only eight double-headers this time around.
WBBL to start early
On the other hand, the Women’s Big Bash League will also get its full quota of 59 matches. The edition will start on October 17 and end on November 29. There will be a three-week mid-season hub in Sydney for all eight franchises.
“While we know that the challenging, fast-changing coronavirus pandemic could ultimately mean revisions to the schedule, there is nonetheless a lot to like about the way both competitions are shaping up,” said Alistair Dobson, the head of Big Bash League.
“It is our sincere hope that the WBBL|06 and BBL|10 will go some way towards lifting the spirits of, and restoring a sense of normality to, the nation.”
“By focusing parts of the competition in a central location (Sydney), it also provides optionality should the COVID-19 situation affect the flow of the season. We remain vigilant in all aspects of our planning to provide a safe environment for players and staff,” he added.
