Adelaide in the WBBL spotlight for crunch weekend

Strikers return home to Karen Rolton Oval

Strikers v Scorchers | Saturday 1.40pm ACDT (2.10pm AEDT)

Scorchers v Thunder | Sunday 10am ACDT (10.30am AEDT)

Strikers v Stars| Sunday 1.40pm ACDT (2.10pm AEDT)

Catch the Strikers matches on 7Cricket, Fox Cricket, or live streamed via Kayo and the CA Live app, with radio coverage on the ABC; Scorchers v Thunder will be streamed live on the CA Live app and Kayo

The Faith Thomas trophy will be up for grabs when the Strikers host the Perth Scorchers in the first of three matches at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval this weekend.

It kicks off a bumper weekend in Adelaide that will also see the Scorchers play the Sydney Thunder on Sunday, before the Strikers meet the Melbourne Stars.

Adelaide and Perth play for the Faith Thomas trophy each season, with the Strikers yet to lose the Indigenous match on the two previous occasions.

It’s a record Adelaide will hope to continue on Saturday, as they look to capitalise on a strong start to the season that sees them sitting second on the table with four wins from six matches.

A Barefoot Circle, where both teams and umpires will remove their shoes to form a circle, will take place before the match as a sign of Australian Cricket’s commitment to reconciliation.

The Walkabout Wickets logo, worn on the collar of Australia’s playing shirts during this year’s Ashes tours, will be painted on the ground, while players from both teams will also wear a pin featuring the logo.

The Scorchers’ season is in a precarious position with two wins from five matches, and the next four days could be make or break for the team from the west.

Playing the Strikers at home on Saturday is a stern task and they’ll barely have time to catch their breath before playing the top-of-the-table Thunder, also at Karen Rolton Oval, on Sunday.

"We know we're a strong team on paper and we know we can beat any team on our day, so this weekend will be a really good challenge," Scorchers batter Georgia Redmayne said.

"It's quite a long tournament and a lot of teams are very closely stacked together right now, but we’d like to get momentum and keep it going forward."

They’ve also suffered a serious injury blow with quick Piepa Clearly ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after fracturing her fibula last weekend.

Both the Scorchers and Thunder then fly directly to Perth, where they’ll meet again at the WACA Ground on Tuesday night.

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Crunch time for Renegades, Hurricanes

Renegades v Hurricanes| Saturday + Sunday 1pm AEDT | Junction Oval

Watch live and free on cricket.com.au and CA Live app, stream via Kayo, tune in on ABC radio

The two teams most desperate to snap winless streaks go head-to-head at Junction Oval this weekend, and both will be crossing their fingers that the forecast wet weather does not eventuate.

The Renegades have suffered three narrow defeats in a row, with final-ball losses against the Thunder and Scorchers before the Sixers edged home against them with a ball to spare.

"A couple of (those losses) have been really tough to take, particularly the Perth Scorchers game where Meg Lanning was exceptional, but that’s cricket," Renegades import Tammy Beaumont said.

"We can put our hands up and say we haven’t played our best cricket yet, we haven’t put all three facets of the game together at the same time.

"But it is quite exciting to see how we could turn it around quite quickly, if we just up our game a little bit."

The Hurricanes, also on a three-game losing streak, have likewise found themselves on the wrong end of close finishes and will also be frustrated after a washout last weekend.

They’ve named an unchanged squad, while the Renegades have brought Makinley Blows and Courtney Neale into their ranks, but they’ll be without Claire Koski for the rest of the season after she suffered a significant shoulder injury last weekend at the WACA.

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Sixers ready to renew rivalry with Heat

Sixers v Heat |Saturday 3pm AEDT | North Sydney Oval

Watch live and free on cricket.com.au and CA Live app, stream via Kayo, tune in on ABC radio

Brisbane Heat will be out to upset the Sydney Sixers on their home turf for the second time this season when the sides face off at North Sydney Oval on Saturday.

The Heat have had the wood over their rivals in their past three meetings, including last year’s final and during the WBBL|05 opening weekend last month.

After an up-down-start to the season that's seen Brisbane register three wins and three losses, Heat bowler Georgia Prestwidge says they will take nothing for granted against the Sixers.

"Cricket is a funny game so anyone is in the mix, but we’re put some good performances together," Prestwidge told cricket.com.au.

"Both teams are just really strong and have a lot of depth so it’ll always be a really close game and a great game to watch as well.

"We always know when we come up against the Sixers we’re going to be in the fight until the end, but that just makes it a spectacle."

Sixers pace bowler Sarah Aley, meanwhile, hopes that most recent defeat to the Heat was merely a blip. 

"I think no matter who we were coming up against ... at this point of the season it's going to be a big match," Aley said on Friday.

"We are always good for one (big loss), but better it comes at the start of the season and hopefully we can get a leg-up on them this time."

The Sixers have made one change with spinner Lauren Smith to miss through injury, while the Heat go in with an unchanged squad. 

Squads (so far)

Adelaide Strikers: Suzie Bates (c), Sophie Devine, Tegan McPharlin, Bridget Patterson, Tahlia McGrath, Lauren Winfield, Katie Mack, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Sarah Coyte, Megan Schutt, Alex Price, Ellie Falconer, Darcie Brown, Annie O’Neil

Perth Scorchers: Meg Lanning (c), Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones, Emma King, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Natalie Sciver

Melbourne Renegades: Jess Duffin (c), Tammy Beaumont, Makinley Blows, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Erica Kershaw, Carly Leeson, Sophie Molineux, Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt

Hobart Hurricanes: Corinne Hall (c), Nicola Carey, Erin Fazackerley, Maisy Gibson, Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight, Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Emily Smith, Chloe Tryon, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson

Sydney Sixers: Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jodie Hicks, Emma Hughes, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry (c), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Dane Van Niekerk

Brisbane Heat: Kirby Short (c), Maddy Green, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jessica Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Delissa Kimmince, Charli Knott, Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel

The Thunder and Stars will name squads on Saturday