Sell out tipped for BBL Final, Bushfire Bash double-header

Tickets for The Big Appeal start from $30 for adults and $9 for children under 15

The full house sign is set to go up at the SCG on Saturday after almost 20,000 tickets were sold in just 24 hours for the 'Big Appeal' double-header at the famous venue.

The Sydney Sixers' win over Melbourne Stars on Friday night means the SCG will host both the BBL Final and the Bushfire Bash charity match that will be the curtain-raiser for the Big Bash decider.

The chance to see current stars like Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood in action on the same day as legends like Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara has led to high demand, with 10,000 tickets sold in the first hour after they went on sale on Saturday morning.

And the prospect of an all-Sydney BBL decider, which will be realised if the Thunder knock off the Stars in The Challenger final on Thursday night, would likely lead to another late surge in sales.

Funds raised from Saturday’s triple-header, which also features a women’s T20 international between Australia and India in Melbourne, will be donated to communities affected by the recent bushfires.

"If you’re a cricket fan or a sports fan generally or you just want to come along to a great event that’s supporting a great cause, the SCG is going to be the place to be in Sydney next Saturday,” said Cricket Australia’s head of fan engagement, Anthony Everard.

"We sold 10,000 tickets in the first hour – it’s incredibly popular.

"If those trends continue, we’re confident of a full house at the SCG."

More than 35,000 fans watched the Sixers v Thunder derby at the SCG in late December, the biggest BBL crowd at the venue this season, a total that looks certain to be surpassed on Saturday.

While an all-Sydney Final would add an extra layer of intrigue to the season finale, a year after the all-Melbourne decider attracted more than 40,000 fans at Marvel Stadium, a Sixers v Stars re-match would see the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis join the star-studded list of players on show.

On Saturday, CA finalised the playing squads for the Bushfire Bash charity game, with Lara a confirmed starter alongside Indian great Yuvraj Singh and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.

Australian legends like Warne, Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Brett Lee had already been confirmed, while Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh will be involved in a non-playing capacity.

Australian football greats Andrew Johns, Nick Riewoldt, Brad Fittler and Luke Hodge will also be involved.

Sixers spinner Steve O'Keefe said it would be a special occasion to be involved in as his side chases their first BBL title since the inaugural tournament in 2011-12.

"You're watching it (the bushfire situation) and you just can't ignore it," he said on Friday.

"We'll play the game and if there's more that we can do as players, then we'll definitely do it.

"We're definitely second fiddle to what's going on in the country at the moment.

"It's great to get back to the SCG - I think the fans there deserve to see us play at home in a big game and hopefully we can get 40,000 there and win our second title."

Tickets for The Big Appeal start from $30 for adults and $9 for children under 15