Sixers, Thunder out to smash record at the SCG

The Sydney Sixers and Thunder are out to steal a record off the Perth Scorchers, with the clubs hoping to set a record WBBL attendance next Sunday at the SCG.

The Sydney Smash will be played at the iconic venue as the final leg of the WBBL’s ‘Stadium Series’ which sees the league return to some of the country’s biggest venues.

The current record attendance for a standalone WBBL game is the 15,511 who watched the Scorchers win the WBBL|07 title at Optus Stadium in 2021.

"It would be wonderful to break the (WBBL crowd) record," Perry said.

"Given how important this competition is to all of us and how much we’d love to see it continue to progress, to set a new benchmark in terms of crowds at the ground would be awesome.

"It’s certainly shown how far the (WBBL) competition’s come and how exciting it is too, as an opportunity I guess, to set a benchmark for where we want to take the competition as well and have lots more of these stadium fixtures and big crowds."

The Sydney derby, and the game between the Hurricanes and Strikers that will precede it, will be the first standalone WBBL matches ever played at the SCG.

Past matches were played as double headers with the KFC BBL.

But the Sixers and Thunder won’t be the only clubs eyeing off record attendances during the Stadium Series.

Adelaide Strikers kick off the action on Friday when they host the Scorchers at Adelaide Oval.

It will be the second leg in a double header that also features a showdown between the Heat and Thunder – meaning the four teams almost certain to make finals will all be in action at the same place on the same day.

Those games will also be critical in shaping the top four and determining who earns the right to host finals the following week.

Both Melbourne teams are out of the running for finals, but that won’t lessen the intensity of the rivalry between the Stars and Renegades on Saturday when they meet at the MCG for the first time since WBBL|04.

The Stars hold the current bragging rights for WBBL|09 after a win earlier in the season, and the Renegades will be desperate get one back.

For Meg Lanning fans still coming to terms with her international retirement, it is also a chance to see the former Aussie skipper in action and acknowledge her remarkable career.

It is also the first time Aussies Lanning, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham will play at the MCG since they won the 2020 T20 World Cup final in front of 86,174 fans – the same goes for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.

This will be the first standalone WBBL game at the MCG since WBBL|03.

Weber WBBL|09 Standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points