BBL 2018-19: All you need to know about the T20 extravaganza

The eighth season of Big Bash League (BBL), Australia’s domestic T20 competition, is set to commence on December 19. The tournament will be a two-month affair concluding on  February 17 next year. The competition, for the first time, will be extended to a full home and away season, with each team to play each other twice.

The league will feature eight teams playing 59 matches consisting of 56 regular matches followed by two semi-finals and the final. Adelaide Strikers, led by Travis Head, had famously won the title in the last edition and they will be looking to defend it this time around with Perth Scorchers being one of the most consistent teams in the tournament.

A total of thirteen venues i.e. The Gabba, Docklands Stadium, Sydney Cricket Ground, Carrara Oval, Adelaide Oval, Bellerive Oval, Sydney Showground Stadium, Perth Stadium, Aurora Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Geelong Cricket Ground, Traeger Park, and Manuka Oval have been finalized for the competition.

The first game is going to be played between the defending champions Adelaide Strikers and Brisbane Heat at The Gabba in Brisbane.

SQUADS for BBL 2018-19

Brisbane Heat:

Brisbane Heat is a Brisbane based BBL team with Brisbane Cricket Ground as their home ground. The team is coached by former Kiwi spinner Daniel Vettori and is captained by hard-hitting batsman Chris Lynn, who replaced Brendon McCullum as the captain. Heat are one of the successful teams of the BBL having won the title in 2012-13.

Squad:

Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Sam Heazlett, Chris Lynn (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Brendon McCullum, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, James Pattinson, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson

Melbourne Renegades:

Melbourne Renegades are a professional T20 BBL team based in Victoria, Australia. The Renegades play their home matches at Marvel Stadium (Docklands) with GMHBA Stadium, Geelong as their second home ground. The team is coached by former Aussie all-rounder Andrew McDonald and is captained by stylish Australian opener Aaron Finch. The Renegades have never won the BBL title and are hoping to turn the fortunes this year.

Squad:

Aaron Finch (C), Cameron Boyce, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Zak Evans, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Samiullah Shenwari, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth

Sydney Thunder:

Sydney Thunder are the professional T20 BBL team based in Sydney, Australia. The Thunder’s home ground is Sydney Showground Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. The team is coached by former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond and is captained by former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson. Thunder won the fifth edition of  Big Bash in 2015-16 under the leadership of Michael Hussey beating Melbourne Stars in the final.

Squad:

Fawad Ahmed, Jos Buttler, Pat Cummins, Callum Ferguson, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Arjun Nair, Kurtis Patterson, Joe Root, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Shane Watson (C), Anton Devcich, Chris Jordan

Hobart Hurricanes:

Hobart Hurricanes are a Tasmania based Australian professional T20 team. The team plays its home matches at Blundstone Arena, University of Tasmania stadium. The Hurricanes are coached by Adam Griffith and are captained by wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade. They have not won a single BBL title so far in the tournament history and were runners-up in the previous season.

Squad:

Jofra Archer, George Bailey, Johan Botha, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Caleb Paul Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills, David Moody, Tim Paine, Thomas Rogers, Clive Rose, D Arcy Short, Aaron Summers, Matthew Wade(C)

Perth Scorchers:

Perth Scorchers are a Perth based professional T20 team. The team had the iconic WACA stadium as its home ground till 2018 but was replaced to Perth Stadium this year. The Scorchers are the most successful team in BBL history having won three titles so far and ended up as runners-up twice. The team with Orange jersey is coached by former Scorchers captain Adam Voges and is captained by big all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

Squad:

Mitchell Marsh (C), Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Inglis, Michael Klinger, Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Shaun Marsh, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Joel Paris, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, David Willey

Melbourne Stars:

Melbourne Stars are the Australian  T20 team based in Melbourne, Victoria. The Stars play their home matches in the largest cricket ground in the world i.e. Melbourne Cricket Ground. The team is coached by former Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming and is led by Aussie batsman Glenn Maxwell. So far, the Stars have been unsuccessful in winning the title but ended up as runners-up in the 2015-16 season.

Squad:

Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell (C), Jonathan Merlo, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa, Matthew Parkinson

Sydney Sixers:

Sydney Sixers are the Australian professional T20 team that competes in BBL and are based in Sydney, Australia. The Sixers play their home matches at Sydney Cricket Ground also known as SCG. The team is coached by the former Australian domestic player Greg Shipperd and is led by big all-rounder Moises Henriques. Sixers won the inaugural Big Bash league in 2011-12 by beating Perth Scorchers in the final and also went on to win inaugural Champions League T20 that year.

Squad:

Joe Denly, Jack Edwards, Sean Abbott, Justin Avendano, Ben Dwarshuis, Tom Curran, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Moises Henriques (C), Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Steve OKeefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Henry Thornton, Peter Nevill

Adelaide Strikers:

Adelaide Strikers are professional T20 cricket team and are based in Adelaide, South Australia. The team plays its home matches at Adelaide Oval and is coached by former Aussie bowler Jason Gillespie. The Stars led by Travis Head are the defending champions which beat the rampaging Hobart Hurricanes in the finals in a 2017-18 season to lift the trophy.

Squad:

Travis Head (C), Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Michael Cormack, David Grant, Colin Ingram, Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Liam O Connor, Rashid Khan, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Nick Winter, Cameron Valente

Fixtures:

December 19- Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers, 1st Match at The Gabba, Brisbane from 6:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 20- Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers, 2nd Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 6:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 21- Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars, 3rd Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 6:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 22- Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers, 4th Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 3:30 PM  Local (10:00 AM IST)

December 22-Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes, 5th Match at Carrara Oval, Queensland from 5:00 PM  Local (12:30 PM IST)

December 23-Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Renegades, 6th Match at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 6:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 24-Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars, 7th Match at Bellerive Oval, Hobart from 3:45 PM  Local (10:15 AM IST)

December 24-Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers, 8th Match at Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 26-Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, 9th Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 4:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 27-Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars, 10th Match at  Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 28-Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder, 11th Match at Bellerive Oval, Hobart from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 29-Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers, 12th Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 7:00 PM  Local (1:30 PM IST)

December 30-Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers, 13th Match at Aurora Stadium, Launceston from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

December 31-Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder, 14th Match Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 6:45 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 1-Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, 15th Match at Carrara Oval, Queensland from 1:45 PM  Local (9:15 AM IST)

January 1-Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades, 16th Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 2-Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers, 17th Match at Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 3-Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers, 18th Match at Geelong Cricket Ground, Geelong from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 4-Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers, 19th Match at Bellerive Oval, Hobart from 7:15 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 5-Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, 20th Match at Carrara Oval, Queensland from 5:15 PM  Local (12:45 PM IST)

January 5-Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat, 21st Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:30 PM  Local (4:00 PM IST)

January 6-Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers, 22nd Match at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 6:45 PM  Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 7-Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, 23rd Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 8-Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat, 24th Match at Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 9-Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers, 25th Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 10-Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Renegades, 26th Match at The Gabba, Brisbane from 6:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 11-Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars, 27th Match at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 6:30 PM Local (1:30 PM IST)

January 13-Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers, 28th Match at Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney from 2:45 PM Local (9:15 AM IST)

January 13-Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, 29th Match at Geelong Cricket Ground, Geelong from 6:35 PM Local (1:05 PM IST)

January 13-Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers, 30th Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:35 PM Local (4:05 PM IST)

January 14-Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes, 31st Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 16-Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades, 32nd Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 17-Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, 33rd Match at The Gabba, Brisbane from 6:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 18-Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes, 34th Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:30 PM Local (4:00 PM IST)

January 19-Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars, 35th Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 6:45 PM Local (1:15 PM IST)

January 20-Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat, 36th Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 21-Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, 37th Match at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 6:45 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 22-Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Renegades, 38th Match at Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 23-Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers, 39th Match at Ted Summerton Reserve, Moe from 2:45 PM Local (9:15 AM IST)

January 23-Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes, 40th Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 24-Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder, 41st Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:40 PM Local (4:10 PM IST)

January 27-Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, 42nd Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne from 7:40 PM Local (2:10 PM IST)

January 28-Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades, 43rd Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:15 PM Local (3:45 PM IST)

January 29-Hobart Hurricanes vs Brisbane Heat, 44th Match at Bellerive Oval, Hobart from 4:00 PM Local (10:30 AM IST)

January 29-Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers, 45th Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:00 PM Local (1:30 PM IST)

January 30-Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder, 46th Match at Docklands Stadium, Melbourne from 7:15 PM Local (1:45 PM IST)

January 31-Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers, 47th Match at Aurora Stadium, Launceston from 7:40 PM Local (2:10 PM IST)

February 1-Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers, 48th Match at The Gabba, Brisbane
from 7:40 PM Local (3:10 PM IST)

February 2-Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, 49th Match at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney from 7:00 PM Local (1:30 PM IST)

February 3-Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat, 50th Match at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide from 5:15 PM Local (12:15 PM IST)

February 3-Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars, 51st Match at Perth Stadium, Perth from 6:15 PM Local (3:45 PM IST)

February 7-Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades, 52nd Match at Bellerive Oval, Hobart
from 7:40 PM Local (2:10 PM IST)

February 8-Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, 53rd Match at The Gabba, Brisbane from 7:40 PM Local (3:10 PM IST)

February 9-Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, 54th Match at Traeger Park, Alice Springs from 1:15 PM Local (9:15 AM IST)

February 9-Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, 55th Match at Manuka Oval, Canberra from 6:15 PM Local (12:45 PM IST)

February 10-Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers, 56th Match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne from 2:45 PM Local (9:15 AM IST)

February 14- TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi-Final at TBC, TBC

February 15- TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi-Final at TBC, TBC

February 17-TBC vs TBC, Final at TBC, TBC

Broadcast Details:

Australia- Fox Sports and Seven Network

New Zealand- Sky Sport

Bangladesh – Sony Ten2

Pakistan- PTV Sports

South Africa- SuperSport

India- SonyESPN

Sri Lanka- Sony Six and SonyESPN

The United Kingdom- BT Sport

The USA- Willow

Canada- CBN and ATN Cricket Plus

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