All you need to know: The WBBL|10 Final

How did we get here?

After the Heat won by nine wickets in The Challenger against the Sydney Thunder, they've earned the right to head to the MCG.

The Melbourne Renegades finished the year in first place, with seven wins to their name. Because they finished on top, they automatically qualified for The Final.

Match facts

Who: Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat

What: The Final, Weber WBBL|10

Where: MCG, Melbourne

When: Sunday, December 1. Bat flip at 12.35pm AEDT, first ball at 1.20pm AEDT

How to watch: Channel 7, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports

Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here

For all matches in WBBL|10 there will be a Weber Baby Q up for grabs during the innings break. Fans can simply scan the QR code on the big screen to compete in trivia on their phone. The fan with the most correct answers in the fastest time will win.

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps

Officials: Claire Polosak (Field), Drew Crozier (Field), Troy Penman (Third), Daryl Brigham (Fourth), Steve Davis (Referee)

Match Squads

Melbourne Renegades: Sophie Molineux (c), Charis Bekker, Sarah Coyte, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Hayley Matthews, Tara Norris, Georgia Prestwidge, Naomi Stalenberg, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb

Pace bowler Tara Norris has been added to the Renegades' 13-player squad for the Final in place of English batter Grace Scrivens.

Brisbane Heat: Jess Jonassen (c), Georgia Redmayne (vc), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Charli Knott, Shikha Pandey, Grace Parsons, Jemimah Rodrigues, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley

The Heat will take an unchanged 13-player squad into the Final that overcame Sydney Thunder at Allan Border Field in the Challenger on Friday. If selected wicketkeeper-batter Mikayla Wrigley would make her WBBL debut.

Form Guide:

Melbourne Renegades: WWWWW (Most recent first)

After the Gades started the season 0-2, they've rebounded to go 6-1 in their last seven games. A remarkable run of form.

Brisbane Heat: WWWWW (Most recent first)

Pretty similar story for the Heat. They lost three games in a row early in the season but haven't faltered since.

What happens if it's washed out?

Up to 7mm of rain is forecast for Sunday at the MCG. Five overs per side is the minimum requirement for this game to be complete, with a significant amount of additional time allocated for potential delays. If a five-over-a-side game isn't possible on Sunday, Monday evening has been set as a reserve day. If the reserve day is utilised, then the final would begin as a new match. If no game is possible across both days, the Renegades would be crowned champions after finishing on top of the table.

What happens if it's a tie?

The game will go to a super over. The one over per side decider will be used if scores finish level, with an unlimited amount of subsequent super overs to be played if the ties keep coming, pending conditions and time restrictions.

If no Super Over (or further Super Overs) are possible, the Renegades will be declared the winner after finishing higher on the table.

Players to watch:

The strength of the Renegades has been their ability to find contributions all across the team this season. Courtney Webb and Hayley Matthews have set the tone as openers. Sophie Molineux, Deandra Dottin and Georgia Wareham have provided support with the bat and the ball as well.

Last time the Renegades were at the MCG, it was Nicole Faltum who played the role as the match winner, with 66 runs in her best WBBL performance. She's shown on multiple occasions this year that she can step up in a crucial game.

For the Heat, they've had superb success with their top order too. Grace Harris is a proven match-winner, while Georgia Redmayne and Jemimah Rodrigues have been consistently doing damage.

The bowlers have been fantastic lately for the Heat, with Grace Parsons picking up three wickets in a standout performance in The Challenger.

Head-to-head

The Heat hosted the Renegades earlier this year at Allan Border Field and won by 28 runs. Georgia Redmayne got the Heat off to a strong start with 44 runs, before Laura Harris blasted 31 off just 16 balls. Grace Parsons took 3-22 in her four overs.

Strengths and weaknesses

Hard to find too many weaknesses with these teams, particularly over the last two weeks. But the point of difference may come in the mental side of the game.

The Renegades have never made it to The Final before. Sophie Molineux discussed how her side has spent the week taking meetings at the MCG and really preparing for the big stage. A week off to be fresh could be a massive help too.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Heat lost in The Final last year and they'll be keen to atone for that.

The Heat have shown that they know how to set themselves up for a convincing win, whether it's batting first or bowling first. They haven't had to dig themselves out of too many holes this year.

On the other side, the Renegades have had those games where it's looked like they were set to fall apart, before finding something within themselves. The clutch victory against the Strikers at CitiPower Centre and the win over the Stars at the MCG both came from early collapses.

They'll be ready for anything.

Rapid facts

• Melbourne Renegades have reached the WBBL Final for the first time in the history of the competition, while this will be the fourth visit to the decider for Brisbane Heat who have won the title on twice previously.
• This will be the first WBBL Final played in Victoria since the inaugural season in 2015-16 when Sydney Thunder defeated Sydney Sixers by six wickets at the MCG.
• Four of the last five WBBL Finals have been won by the home team.
• Brisbane Heat have won five of their past six WBBL matches against Melbourne Renegades stretching back to November 2021, which includes a 28-run win in their only meeting so far this season. The Heat have also won their last three games against the Renegades in Victoria.
• The Renegades are on a five-game winning streak, their longest ever in the WBBL and have won two of their last three games at the MCG.
• The Heat have won their last six WBBL matches and a seveth straight win would equal their longest winning run in the competition.
• The Renegades have taken 28 wickets during the death overs (17-20) this WBBL season, more than any other team, while only Hobart Hurricanes (11) have had fewer batters dismissed during this period than the Renegades (12).
• No teams have made more run outs in WBBL|10 than the Renegades (8) and Heat (8) – Grace Harris' three runs outs are more than any other player.
• The Renegades have a batting strike rate of 190.7 during the Power Surge this season, the highest of any team. The Renegades (14) and Heat (12) have also taken the most wickets of any teams during the Power Surge.
• Georgia Redmayne (Heat) has scored 40-plus runs in four of her last six WBBL innings agaonst the Renegades (267 runs at 53.4). She also scored 50no in her last innings and 40 in her last innings at the MCG.
• Heat's Grace Harris (2854) is 146 away from reaching 3000 runs in the WBBL – she will become the seventh batter to do so if she reaches the mark if the final.
• Renegades' Deandra Dottin (934) is 66 away from reaching 1000 runs in the WBBL.
• Renegades captain Sophie Molineux (93) is seven wickets away from become this 15th bowler to claim 100 wickets in the WBBL.

What's on the line

For the Renegades, the chance to win their first WBBL title looms large. They're a team filled with belief and it might just be their year.

For the Heat, it's redemption for last year's loss. It's also a chance to add another trophy to the cabinet, after back-to-back championships in WBBL|04 and WBBL|05. They could be the first team to three WBBL titles.

WBBL|10 Finals

The Knockout: Sydney Thunder beat Hobart Hurricanes by six wickets

The Challenger: Brisbane Heat beat Sydney Thunder by nine wickets

The Final: Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat | MCG | Sunday, December 1 at 1.20pm AEDT

Grab your tickets or tune in on the Seven Network, 7Plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo or ABC and SEN radio

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