Semi-final 1: Thunder v Scorchers

When and where: 12.10pm AWST/3.10pm AEDT on Thursday, February 1 at Optus Stadium

The squads:
Sydney Thunder: Alex Blackwell (C), Sam Bates, Nicola Carey, Rene Farrell, Maisy Gibson, Lisa Griffith, Rachael Haynes, Rachel Priest, Naomi Stalenberg, Stafanie Taylor, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa, Fran Wilson

Perth Scorchers: Elyse Villani ©, Megan Banting, Nicole Bolton, Katherine Brunt, Piepa Cleary, Lauren Ebsary, Heather Graham, Emma King, Thamsyn Newton, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Natalie Sciver, Emily Smith. 

The last time they met:

The back stories:

The Thunder slipped off the radar a little last season, but the WBBL|01 champions signalled their intentions early this summer. They won six of their first seven matches, and only dropped four along the way. Pleasingly for the lime green team, there have been plenty of contributors across the board, who have stood up at various points of the season, meaning they have not been too reliant on any one player with bat or ball.

The Perth Scorchers have come oh-so-close in two finals campaigns, only to go down by single-digit margins on both occasions. They lost the semi-final against Sydney Thunder by just eight runs in the inaugural season, and lost last year's decider to Sydney Sixers by just seven runs. There are plenty of proven performers in their squad, but the team has had an up-and-down season, with some great wins over top-two sides Sixers and Thunder counterbalanced by frustrating losses, and they haven't yet been able to build momentum at any point of the season.

The road to finals (most recent last):

Sydney Thunder:WLWWWWWLWWLWLW

Perth Scorchers: WWLWLWLWLLWWLW

The players to watch:

Rachael Haynes: Fresh off her duties captaining the national team in Meg Lanning’s absence, Haynes has produced her best WBBL season, making 425 runs with an impressive strike rate of 120.74. She passed the half-century mark on four occasions, with a high score of 78, and has formed a strong opening combination with White Fern and former Renegade Rachel Priest.

Rene Farrell: The Thunder bowler has been in fine form this season, taking 17 wickets and picking up some crucial scalps along the way. She’s been trusted to get the job done in some tricky spots for the Thunder and has risen to the occasion, and has also chimed in with some handy batting efforts along the way. 

Katherine Brunt: The Scorchers’ spearhead is at her formidable best and storms into the finals off a player-of-the-match haul of 3-11 against the Renegades on Sunday. She’s more than doubled her wicket tally from last season, claiming 22 scalps in WBBL|03, and has pitched in with 94 runs, including 11 boundaries, over the course of the season.

Nicole Bolton: The allrounder has delivered three player-of-the-match performances in a brilliant season, smashing 440 runs and taking seven wickets. Her versatility with the bat is key, able in equal measure to rack up some big boundaries quickly when the Scorchers need it and also play a patient, composed or dogged innings to protect her wicket when others fall around her.

Overall head to head: Thunder 5, Scorchers 2

Big Bash titles: Thunder 1, Scorchers 0