Ultimate Guide: Everything you need to know WBBL|10

The WBBL is back! When does it start?

WBBL|10 will launch on Sunday, October 27, with a blockbuster triple-header across Adelaide and Perth, starting with a Grand Final rematch between the Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval.

That will be followed by the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers going head-to-head also at Adelaide Oval, then the Perth Scorchers will kick off their campaign against the Melbourne Stars at the WACA Ground.

View the full WBBL|10 schedule here

The regular season will conclude on November 24 with a week of finals to follow, culminating with the final on December 1.

What else do I need to know about the schedule?

Earlier this year Cricket Australia announced changes to the WBBL as part of its ambitious Women and Girls Action Plan.

Starting this season the WBBL has been reduced to a 40-game regular season - to bring it in line with the men's KFC BBL - with no no change in clubs' salary caps, keeping it at the forefront of attractive propositions for international calibre stars.

This means each club will play 10 regular season games, down from last season's 14, with each club playing three others twice. There will be no change to the four-team, three-game WBBL finals format that has been in place since 2021.

There will be more games in prime time and an expanded Stadium Series will run from November 9 to 16, building on the WBBL's return to the country's most iconic venues in WBBL|09.

Teams will return to the Adelaide Oval, SCG and MCG, with the series to include a standalone game at the Gabba for the first time in six years.

The schedule also includes seven games with a neutral venue, down from 10 the previous season and 25 the year before that, and every team will play at home in the first week of the tournament.

Despite there being no changes to the finals format, the schedule has been tweaked to ensure there is no longer a neutral finals game.

The team that finishes on top of the table at the end of the regular season will still host the final on Sunday, December 1.

The sides finishing third and fourth will meet in The Knockout on November 27 – to be hosted by the third-ranked side.

The winner of that game will then travel to play the second-ranked qualifier in The Challenger on November 29 for a spot in the final.

Previously, the second-ranked team hosted both elimination games on back-to-back days.

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How can I watch?

Like previous years, Australian viewers will be able to watch all matches live and free on either Channel 7 or Foxtel and Kayo.

This summer, free-to-air digital streaming is available on 7Plus, and more matches will be played in prime time with 23 of the 43-game season (including all finals) on the Seven network and 7Plus, while every match will be shown live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

The ABC will also provide ball-by-ball commentary of games throughout the regular season as well.

What about live scores, news and highlights?

The Big Bash app is the best place to go for live scores, highlights and news during WBBL|10.

The app can also be personalised so that you don't miss a moment or highlight from you favourite team and players this season.

Also stay tuned to cricket.com.au for extended video highlights, match reports, features and interviews from our reporters throughout the competition.

You can follow the WBBL on social media to see behind the scenes content and all the best bits from across the season.

How can I head along to watch?

Head down and support your team by grabbing your tickets here!

What else is different to last year?

There was a change to how clubs were able to sign overseas players this years with clubs now able to offer multi-year deals to one player outside of the draft. 

The multi-year contract option allowed clubs to pre-sign one women's overseas player for up to a maximum of three years ahead of the draft. The contracting mechanism was introduced to help retain and attract new international players amid an increasingly competitive global T20 landscape.

However, this means starting from WBBL|10 onwards, these players are required to be available for the entire season including finals.

There will also be an increase to the number of WBBL matches that will include the Decision Review System (DRS) in the upcoming season.

The number of games using DRS is set to increase to 77 per cent up from 41 per cent of games last season.

Overall, 33 of 43 matches will feature DRS including all 23 matches simulcast across the Seven Network, 7Plus, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.

A TV umpire will feature in every match for the first time which will be available for standard referrals such as run outs, stumpings and fair catch dismissals in the 10 non-DRS games.

Who should I look out for?

All of the Australian players who were part of the recent T20 World Cup campaign will feature in WBBL|10, minus the injured Tayla Vlaeminck. 

The reigning Player of the World Cup, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr joined the Sydney Sixers in the off season but will now miss at least the first half of the tournament after tearing her quadricep in an ODI against India. 

But now to the players who aren't injured; with international stars spread across all eight teams, whichever game you tune into you are likely to see a familiar face.

The Stars pulled off another of the biggest coups in the league when they signed South African allrounder Marizanne Kapp to their squad.

Deandra Dottin will return to the WBBL and join countrywoman Hayley Matthews at the Melbourne Renegades after getting picked up at the draft.

The return of Sophie Molineux for the Renegades will also be a big moment for the club after she missed WBBL|09 due to injury.

Last year’s Player of the Tournament Chamari Athapaththu was rewarded with a long-term deal with the Thunder. The Sri Lankan captain will be hoping replicate her heroics from WBBL|09 for Thundernation.

Fiery quick Shabnim Ismail was also a steal in the draft for the Thunder who will be hoping the South African can repeat her championship winning ways from the last time she was in lime green.

There are also plenty of new faces to the WBBL; Orla Prendergast (Ireland), Yastika Bhatia and Hemalatha Dayalan (both India) will make their first appearances in the WBBL.

WBBL|10 overseas players

Adelaide Strikers: Smriti Mandhana (India), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Orla Prendergast (Ireland)

Brisbane Heat: Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Shikha Pandey (India), Nadine de Klerk (South Africa)

Hobart Hurricanes:  Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Lizelle Lee (South Africa), Suzie Bates (replacement player)

Melbourne Renegades: Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Alice Capsey (England)

Melbourne Stars: Deepti Sharma (India), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Yastika Bhatia (India)

Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Amy Jones (England), Hemalatha Dayalan (India)

Sydney Sixers: Sophie Ecclestone (England), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Hollie Armitage (England)

Sydney Thunder: Heather Knight (England), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Georgia Adams (England)

Who won last year?

The Adelaide Strikers made it back-to-back championships when they defeated the Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval by just three runs.

It was thrilling final, where after making 125 in the first innings, the Strikers had to be clinical with the ball to take the win.

They did just that - Amanda-Jade Wellington stepped up with 3-16 and taking on the responsibility of bowling the last over of the game.

The Heat needed 11 runs off the final oval but couldn’t get the job done, falling short by three runs to make the Strikers champions for the second year running.

Tahlia McGrath and Megan Schutt were also instrumental defending the low score, taking two wickets apiece.

Laura Wolvaardt top scored with 39 from 33 balls for the Strikers with McGrath not far behind with her 38 from 34.

The Strikers lifted the trophy in front of 12, 379 fans at the Adelaide Oval and will open their season with a rematch at the same ground.

How is my team looking?

Click the links below for a detailed preview of each club heading into the opening weekend, including the squads, the ins and outs and players to watch.

Adelaide Strikers | Brisbane Heat | Hobart Hurricanes | Melbourne Renegades | Melbourne Stars | Perth Scorchers | Sydney Sixers | Sydney Thunder