Venues, dates named for Big Bash finals

Cricket Australia have confirmed the venues for the KFC Big Bash League and Rebel WBBL semi-finals, with ladder-leaders Perth Scorchers set to make their maiden appearance at the brand-new Optus Stadium.

With their win over Melbourne Renegades on Monday evening, second-placed Adelaide Strikers also secured a home final with five BBL|07 matches still to be played.

Perth ticket details

Adelaide ticket details

While the Strikers could move above the Scorchers with a win in Thursday's top-of-the-table clash at the WACA - with the hosting rights for the BBL grand final on the line should both clubs win their semis - neither club can be displaced from the top two spots.

CA have confirmed the Scorchers, the BBL's defending champions, will play their semi-final at Optus Stadium on Thursday February 1 and the Strikers to host their semi at Adelaide Oval on Friday February 2.

The Scorchers' match is set to be just the second competitive game of cricket played at the new Burswood ground. The fifth Gillette one-day international between Australia and England will be the stadium's first major event of any kind.

Battling it out to play the Scorchers and the Strikers in the men's semi-finals are Hobart Hurricanes, Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder. Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers are out of the finals reckoning. 

The Women's Big Bash League semi-finals will be played as curtain-raisers to the BBL semis. All teams bar Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes are still in with a chance of making the top-four.

Optus Stadium hosted a series of practice matches between the Scorchers and England Lions in December as test events.

The state-of-the-art venue has a capacity of 55,000 for cricket games and has the largest in-stadium screens in the Southern Hemisphere.

While there were suggestions that the stadium's capacity would be capped for the fifth ODI, the Western Australian Cricket Association today confirmed the full 55,000 seats would be made available for the match.

“We’re thrilled we’ve been able to work with the Government and VenuesLive to achieve an outcome that’s good for everybody," WACA chief executive Christina Matthews said.

“We now look forward to meeting the task of selling out the Semi Final and ensuring the Scorchers – hopefully the Club’s men and women, if the WBBL side qualifies for the post-season – play in front of a capacity crowd.

"We also take great pride in being a sport for all Australians and the fact that cricket will host the first women’s sport event at Optus Stadium is a significant achievement."

An expected sell out for the Australia-England ODI would set a new Western Australia record for sporting crowds, beating the 52,781 at the 1979 WAFL grand final. WA's current record for a cricket crowd is the 28,210 who saw Australia play South Africa at the WACA in 1993-94.