Inaugural ‘Stadium Series’ to kick off later this WBBL season with matches at the MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval
Biggest to host the best in WBBL Stadium Series
The world's best women's domestic cricket competition will take to the game's biggest stages when the Weber WBBL returns to Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney Cricket Ground across one historic weekend next month.
The inaugural WBBL Stadium Series kicks off on November 24 with a double-header featuring reigning champions (and hometown heroes) Adelaide Strikers against Perth Scorchers, preceded by Brisbane Heat's meeting with Sydney Thunder.
Next day, Stars and Renegades square off in a Melbourne derby at the MCG where the T20 World Cup final in 2020 set a new global record for a women's cricket match with more than 86,000 fans.
The Stadium Series round will be completed on Sunday November 26 with the competition's other cross-town rivalry as Sydney outfits the Sixers and Thunder meet at the SCG.
That will be part of another double-header, with the Strikers playing Hobart Hurricanes earlier in the final preliminary fixtures before WBBL|09 finals.
The MCG and SCG have not hosted WBBL matches since the fourth season of the competition in 2018-19, when more than 11,000 fans attended the former for the Stars-Renegades clash on New Year's Day.
Strikers skipper and Australia power-hitter Tahlia McGrath, who last turned out for her WBBL outfit on the celebrated surrounds of Adelaide Oval in the Challenger Final of WBBL|07 two years ago, said today the Stadium Series had been a talking point among players since the current season's schedule was released.
"I cannot wait," McGrath said in launching the series at Adelaide Oval this morning.
"When the fixture came out and we saw we were playing at Adelaide Oval, everyone circled that fixture as one we're really looking forward to, getting the opportunity to play on what in my opinion is the best ground in the world.
"You get excited to think about the prospect of a big crowd.
"We're pretty lucky, we get a really nice atmosphere at Karen Rolton Oval and we have loud supporters, so hopefully that's just amplified here at Adelaide Oval."
McGrath harbours cherished memories of her most recent international appearances at the historic venue in her home town, having earned player of the match honours for scoring an unbeaten 91 (off 49 balls) in addition to claiming 3-26 in Australia's T20I triumph over England during the 2021-22 women's Ashes series.
"It's a really great ground for cricket, iconic, and it's always high-scoring which is great for the fans," she said.
"You grow up as a kid and you're watching people play on the Adelaide Oval, or you're watching people play on the SCG and it's what you dream of.
"It's going to be extra special running out on to Adelaide Oval with the Strikers."
Alistair Dobson, General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, is confident of strong attendances for the Stadium Series and said the then-record turn out when Australia defeated India to win the T20 Women's World Cup in 2020 highlighted the drawing power of elite-level women's sport.
While he would not speculate on the crowd numbers expected across all three venues for the Stadium Series that could become a regular feature of the WBBL, he noted they offered "the best experience possible" for players and fans.
"For us, it's a pretty simple equation," Dobson said.
"These are the world's best cricketers, and we think they should be playing at the world's best cricket stadiums.
"To be able to do that this year at Adelaide Oval, play some games at the MCG and the SCG as well is just a natural progression for our competition, the world's best cricket league.
"Fans love watching the best of the best, and that's absolutely what the WBBL is.
"This year I think the standard has gone to another level again.
"You can see the power in the athletes, you can see the strategy and the ability with both bat and ball continue to improve.
"It's the best of the best playing against each other, on the best grounds around the country."
Adelaide Strikers’ game against Perth Scorchers on the opening day of the Stadium Series will carry additional significance as the team's host match in First Nations Round that showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and ceremony.
The winner of that encounter will earn the perpetual Faith Thomas Trophy named in honour of the first Indigenous woman to represent Australia in Test cricket, and McGrath today unveiled the playing strip her team will don in First Nations Round matches during WBBL|09.
"We think it looks awesome," McGrath said of the shirt designed by Narungga, Kokatha and Kaurna artist Steven Warrior who also worked on shirts worn by South Australia men's and women's players this season.
"There's so much detail in this shirt, that highlights so much.
"For example, we've got the meeting place of Adelaide Oval (Tarntanya Wama) represented with the first eleven male cricketers to represent an Indigenous male team for Australia (in 1868).
"This (vertical design on front) represents everyone's individual journey to get through to cricket, then on the back we've got some words in the native Kaurna language that represent our values.
"So there's so much going on in this shirt, and there's so much meaning behind it that we're really proud to wear it."
Strikers will wear the shirt in the inaugural First Nations Round game of WBBL|09 against the Scorchers in Perth on Sunday, and again in the return leg at Adelaide Oval.
Weber WBBL|09 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
STR
|
14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.154 | 0 | 22 |
|
2
SCO
|
14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.784 | 0 | 16 |
|
3
HEA
|
14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.203 | 0 | 16 |
|
4
THU
|
14 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0.298 | 0 | 15 |
|
5
SIX
|
14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -0.253 | 0 | 14 |
|
6
HUR
|
14 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | -0.597 | 0 | 13 |
|
7
STA
|
14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -0.779 | 0 | 12 |
|
8
REN
|
14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | -0.978 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points