WBBL broadcast boost as schedule rejig completed

The rejigged schedule for the seventh edition of the women's Big Bash has been confirmed, with the second half of the season to be played across South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

Ongoing border closures will prevent matches from being played in Victoria – for a second consecutive season – and New South Wales, but in some good news for fans who cannot attend, all 59 games will be broadcast on television for the first time.

View the WBBL|07 fixture in full 

The league had already confirmed the first 20 matches of the season would be played across Hobart and Launceston.

On Wednesday it was revealed Adelaide Oval, Karen Rolton Oval, the WACA Ground and Perth’s Lilac Hill would also host games, alongside Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena.

As has been the case in previous years, fans in Australia will be able to watch all 59 matches live and free on either the Seven Network or cricket.com.au; but in a first, every single match will be broadcast on television with Fox Cricket and Kayo expanding their coverage.

Of the 59 matches, 24 will be televised on free-to-air on Seven and simulcast on Fox Cricket, while the remaining 35 games will be shown on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports and live streamed for free on cricket.com.au. A selection of games will also be broadcast on ABC Radio.

The additional television games – 23 more than last season – will mean a higher-quality broadcast throughout the entire tournament, with more cameras capturing every angle.

The increased TV coverage signals the growth of the league since its inaugural season in 2015-16, where just 10 matches were shown on television.

"Once again this season we need to remain nimble and agile to deliver a full Weber WBBL season," CA’s general manager of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said.

"We understand that this revised schedule means our fans in New South Wales and Victoria won’t be able to attend Weber WBBL|07 matches in their own backyard.

"(But) to also announce a landmark broadcast footprint is amazing ... fans can now watch every Weber WBBL|07 game on TV, ensuring that our passionate supporters will have access to world-class cricket despite the challenges of the pandemic."

The WBBL is not the only competition to be impacted by the outbreaks across NSW, Victoria and the ACT, which also forced the national team's CommBank series against India to be moved in its entirety to Queensland, the start of the Women's National Cricket League to be postponed, and wreaked havoc with the Marsh Sheffield Shield and Marsh One-Day Cup fixtures.

WBBL players based in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra are currently quarantining in Hobart ahead of the start of the season on October 14, while overseas players are completing their mandatory fortnight of isolation in Adelaide.

Last month, the league revealed a new-look finals system for WBBL|07.

While the top four will still advance to the finals – remaining different to the KFC BBL, where the top five qualify – the new system will significantly advantage the teams finishing in the top two.

In previous tournaments, the semi-finals have pitted 1 v 4 and 2 v 3, with the winners meeting in the final.

Now, the teams finishing third and fourth will need to win two playoff games in order to reach the final.

This season, the top-ranked team at the end of the 56-game regular season will directly progress to – and host, COVID permitting – the final on Saturday November 27.

The teams finishing third and fourth will meet in The Eliminator on Wednesday, November 24, with the winner to then play the second-ranked team in The Challenger on Thursday, November 25, for a spot in the final.

Both The Eliminator and The Challenger will be played at the home venue of the second-placed team, border restrictions permitting.