Big Bash League: SCG to host Sydney derby on Boxing Day
Sydney will take the focus off the MCG this Boxing Day with one of the biggest BBL matches of the summer slated for the most famous day on the cricket calendar.
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Sydney is set to gatecrash the biggest day on Australia’s cricket calendar with a local Big Bash derby between the Sixers and Thunder to be played on Boxing Day night.
The cross-town rivalry between the Thunder and Sixers has quickly become one of the most anticipated BBL fixtures on the annual calendar and Cricket Australia will confirm on Wednesday they’ve scheduled a battle at the Thunder’s spiritual home, Sydney Showgrounds Stadium.
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The huge clash will follow the traditional first day of the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the MCG and is set to prove a ratings bonanza for broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel Seven, with a second BBL match to follow that night.
Incoming Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss, said the fixture adds to one of cricket’s brightest days.
“Boxing Day is always a very special day for cricket in Australia and with the addition of this Sydney Smash game between two-arch rivals makes it one of the biggest days on the world cricket calendar,” Bayliss said.
“The Sydney Smash derby games are traditionally two of biggest games on the domestic cricket calendar and this will be no different.
“I hope that the Thunder Nation fans are looking forward to the season and this game as much as I am. As a team we are really looking forward to getting back to our spiritual home at Sydney Showgrounds Stadium.”
CRICKET’S TWO JEWELS SET FOR PRIME-TIME SHOWDOWN
Robert Craddock
Cricket’s new and old worlds will collide next summer with Australia pitting its two jewels – the Ashes and the Big Bash – against each other for the first time.
Cricket Australia will reveal its Big Bash schedule on Wednesday and it is believed the T20 competition will feature matches on all five nights of the fifth Ashes Test in Perth from January 14-18.
The Perth Test will be a daytime affair but runs into prime time night viewing on the eastern seaboard because of a three-hour time difference.
This means the Big Bash games will overlap the last Test match session each day, requiring broadcasters Fox Sports and Channel 7 to pit the white and red ball games against each other on different channels.
It is also understood the last two nights of the day-night Test in Adelaide will also go up against Big Bash games in other states.
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Ideally, CA would have preferred not to have the Big Bash run against the Test match but a 61-match season has created a scheduling squeeze, particularly since CA was committed to ending the home-and-away summer by the end of the school holidays.
The cluttered nature of the large Test match summer – five games against England and one against Afghanistan – also played its part in the clash.
Having Big Bash matches on the final two days of the Adelaide Test caters to the fears by Channel 7 that the game will finish early, as it occasionally does, and they will waste several precious night time spots.
Fox Sports has traditionally had reservations about overlapping games which can cannibalise the product.
The Brisbane Heat will resume normal transmission in next summer’s Big Bash after last season’s exceptional fixturing that saw South East Queensland host a large number of ‘home’ and ‘neutral’ games matches involving most of the BBL clubs.
The Heat’s crowd-pulling prowess will receive a boost with five games at the Gabba again and two at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.
All home games will fall within the Queensland school holidays, and three of their last four games at the Gabba will be during the ‘sweet’ holiday window, when families enjoy their summer break.
Brisbane, which are regularly one of the top TV rating teams in the BBL, last season achieved their highest placing since BBL 06.
Meanwhile, new Brisbane Heat assistant coach Andrew Bichel believes Marnus Labuschagne should be part of Australia’s urgently needed batting cavalry for the Twenty20 World Cup.
Australia’s brittle T20 batting, weakened by the absence of regular stars, was exposed again in a third successive loss to the West Indies on Tuesday.
David Warner, Marcus Stoinis and Steve Smith are likely to return for the for World Cup.
“Marnus is a definite World Cup chance,’’ said former Test selector Bichel.
“I think he would fit nicely in around some of the big hitters. You will have Finch and Warner at the top then it opens up and I can see Smith and Marnus being the glued in a three and four.’’
‘Imagine Kohli playing’: Why Big Bash deserves big bucks
Brett Lee believes Australia should allow private owners to have a slice of the Big Bash, which will be launched on a Sunday next summer by the three-peat hunting Sydney Sixers.
The Sixers have won the last two Big Bash titles and their quest for a third consecutive title will start with a bumper clash against the Melbourne Stars on December 5, falling between the Test against Afghanistan in Hobart and the first Ashes Test.
It is scheduled for the SCG, but nothing is certain in the Covid world.
The full Big Bash draw will be announced on Wednesday.
Private ownership was floated when the Big Bash was launched a decade ago but Cricket Australia elected to keep sole ownership of all franchises, unlike the Indian Premier League model which features privately owned teams.
Lee, a former Sydney Sixer, likes the idea of selling just under half of each team to provide a cash injection, which could help attract more of the game’s biggest overseas stars.
“You could have co-ownership and Cricket Australia could retain 51% and still control things, but with that extra funding I think you could get some really high profile stars come out,’’ Lee said.
“I am talking about the Virat Kohli’s. Imagine Kohli playing for the Sixers and the crowds you would get. I am really impressed with the Big Bash. They have done a great job. But to reach the next level that is what you would have to do.’’
CA had plans for an overseas player draft for next season but the increased threat of the global pandemic has the suggestion under a cloud.
Lee supports its introduction despite concerns from some officials it could undermine fan loyalty with players regularly swapping clubs
“The draft is a good idea and I would love to see the best of the best come to Australia. We have earnt that right. You need those big overseas players. The IPL has done well with only four overseas players so you are seeing the best of the best youngsters, but I think it really helps to mix with top overseas players.’’
Scheduling crush opens door for new venue
Junction Oval will host its first ever Big Bash match next summer as Cricket Australia looks to cram 56 home-and-away matches around a home Ashes series.
It can be revealed that Melbourne Stars are set to play a one-off match at Cricket Victoria’s headquarters in St Kilda, which is likely to precede the marquee derby against Melbourne Renegades at the MCG.
The scheduling crush around what shapes as another blockbuster summer of Test cricket has lent itself to some creative fixturing and BBL clubs will be required to play on consecutive days.
Renegades will also return to GMHBA Stadium in 2021-2022 with the red team expected to play two home games in Geelong and the remaining five at Marvel Stadium.
The heat is on the local BBL clubs with Stars still chasing their maiden BBL trophy and Renegades collecting the past two wooden spoons.
Both clubs failed to play finals last summer despite the full availability of superstar captains Aaron Finch (Renegades) and Glenn Maxwell (Stars).
Last summer’s games down the highway were relocated due to the pandemic.
Cricket Australia is currently finalising the BBL schedule, which is likely to be released later this week.
The home-and-away season will be completed in just 46 days, although some of those days – such as Christmas Day and some of the day-night Test – will be BBL-free.
That is set to deliver plenty of double-headers.
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