Every WBBL match to be broadcast live

14 Nov 2016 cricket.com.au

Cricket Australia announces 47 WBBL matches will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and Facebook

Every run, wicket and catch of the Rebel Women's Big Bash League will be broadcast live and free this summer after Cricket Australia announced it would live stream all 47 non-television matches to fans around Australia.

The WBBL|02 matches live streamed by Cricket Australia will be free to watch on cricket.com.au, the Cricket Australia Live App, and - in a first for Australian women’s sport - also via the WBBL Facebook page.

Network Ten has already announced it will televise 12 matches this season, up from 10 in WBBL|01, including four matches on the standalone opening weekend of WBBL|02 on December 10 and 11 at North Sydney Oval.

All of CA's live streamed matches will be covered by a four-camera set-up, with a commentary team featuring Australian legends Mel Jones and Lisa Sthalekar, alongside Jason Bennett and Pete Lazer.

Image Id: 8FB4FD6275464314A56540DC92016409 Image Caption: Lisa Sthalekar (L) and the Sixers went all the way to the final in WBBL|01

"The WBBL was developed to provide women and girls with a visible pathway into the game of cricket and initiatives such as the live streaming of all matches for WBBL|02 do exactly that," Cricket Australia General Manager Media, Communications and Marketing Ben Amarfio said.

"The WBBL live streaming represents a considerable investment into the competition and demonstrates how serious Cricket Australia is about attracting more girls and women to our great game.

"WBBL|01 was a great success, with the competition showcasing the athleticism, energy, and excitement of the best female cricketers from around the world and we are very excited to be enabling more people to watch WBBL|02 live and for free."

Image Id: 71FBA368C2484BC7A22625EDC4C64CDD Image Caption: The Women's Big Bash was a hit with fans last summer // Getty

A who's who of the world's most exciting players have already been confirmed on club lists for WBBL|02, including Australian captain Meg Lanning and star allrounder Ellyse Perry, ICC T20 Player of the Year Stafanie Taylor and England captain Heather Knight.

For the first time, two India players will feature in the Big Bash, after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana signed with the Thunder and Heat respectively.

The WBBL season will kick off with a free, weekend-long carnival of cricket in Sydney on December 10-11 at North Sydney Oval, with all eight clubs to feature and six matches to be played over two days.