Big start planned for WBBL season

All eight WBBL teams will play at Melbourne's Junction Oval over the opening weekend of the season on December 1 and 2.

Stand-alone finals, festival weekends and a beefed-up broadcast deal are expected to drive interest in the Women's Big Bash League when the fourth season gets underway in December.

All eight teams will come together at Melbourne's revamped Junction Oval to play four matches over the December 1 and 2 weekend in the first of three festival weekends planned for the season.

The season schedule, released on Monday, features stand-alone finals for the first time - no longer playing as curtain-raisers on the same ground as men's BBL matches.

It is anticipated that all WBBL games will be played as stand-alone fixtures in the 2019/20 season.

The regular season features 56 matches and will be followed by two semi-finals at one venue hosted by the top-ranked team and a final on Australia Day.

Across the season, 23 matches will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Seven Network, almost double the number of televised matches from last season.

BBL and WBBL boss Kim McConnie expects the broadcast deal to ensure women's cricket continues to grow in popularity.

"Last season was a huge step forward - record attendance, record viewership," McConnie told reporters on Monday.

"We're going to take another big step forward this coming season and then stand alone (games) the following.

"It's time for women's elite cricket to have its own window and we're excited about that happening."

Cricket Australia faced criticism last season over the decision to schedule double-header women's BBL finals with the men's matches.

It meant the Sydney-based Sixers and Thunder were forced to travel to Adelaide and Perth respectively for their semi-finals despite finishing first and second on the ladder.

"I think we listened. We heard the frustration from last season," McConnie said.

"It wasn't just player and club, it was fans, and they were right.

"We've been able to make that change and we're very proud to give the home team fans that right."

The WBBL will feature three festival weekends before returning to more traditional fixturing when the school holidays start.

The second, from Friday, December 7 to Sunday, December 9 features four matches at North Sydney Oval and two at Burnie in Tasmania.

The third from Saturday, December 15 to Sunday, December 16 has four matches at Hobart's Blundstone Arena and two at Casey Fields in Cranbourne, Victoria.


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Source: AAP



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Big start planned for WBBL season | SBS News