The availability of Adelaide Oval and the Gabba due to the Australia-West Indies Test series will impact the Heat and Strikers ability to host finals
BBL finals venues confirmed amid Test series clash
Gold Coast is in line to host its first ever Big Bash final with KFC BBL|13 pace setters Brisbane Heat opting for Heritage Bank Stadium as their preferred venue should they earn finals hosting rights this season.
The Heat are one of two clubs forced to relocate home finals this season, with the availability of the Gabba and Adelaide Oval both limited due to a clash with the Australian Test summer.
Australia's two-match series against the West Indies runs parallel with the BBL's revamped finals series from January 19-24 as the competition's top four teams vie for Australian T20 cricket's ultimate prize.
The Strikers will be unable to host the Qualifier (January 19) or Knockout (January 20) finals at Adelaide Oval with the first Test against the Windies to be held at the same venue from January 17-21.
The Strikers currently sit fourth with a win, loss and no result from their first three matches and will play at Manuka Oval in Canberra should they finish first or third and be entitled to host either the Qualifier or Knockout respectively.
But with the first Test finishing before the Challenger (January 22) and BBL|13 Final (January 24), if the Strikers finish in the top two, they'll get to play one of those matches at Adelaide Oval depending on the result of the Qualifier.
If the Heat qualify however, they will host all their finals on the Gold Coast with the Gabba out of action in the week leading up to the second Test from January 25-29.
Should the Heat – who are currently undefeated and on top of the BBL|13 standings after five matches – qualify to host, it will be the first BBL finals matches played at Heritage Bank Stadium.
The venue first hosted a Big Bash match in December 2018 and was the Heat's second home during the expanded BBL|08 to BBL|12 seasons.
The first BBL match played at Manuka Oval was the thrilling BBL|04 Final where Brett Lee almost pushed the game into a Super Over with two wickets in the final over of his career, before a botched run out attempt by the Sixers on the final ball saw the Scorchers secure the second of their five titles.
Manuka Oval has also hosted finals in the Covid-affected BBL|10 season where a total of 13 games were played at the venue.
The remaining six clubs will each host their finals at their respective home grounds should they qualify.
This summer will feature a new-look finals structure comprising of the top four teams (down from five in the previous four seasons) after the competition reduced to a 44-game season (down from 61 matches in BBL|09 to BBL|12).
As has been the case since BBL|09, the top two teams will be rewarded with a double-chance and will play off in the Qualifier on January 19 with the winning earning direct passage into the Final.
The third- and fourth-placed team will contest the Knockout on January 20 with the winner to face the loser if the Qualifier in the Challenger final on January 22 for the second spot in the decider.
"With less games this season there's even more emphasis on each match and the finals series will be no different, with four highly anticipated matches to round out BBL|13," said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia's general manager of Big Bash Leagues.
"The nature of this season means access to venues is a little tighter than usual, but we've been able to work with clubs to find solutions that suit both them and the fans and are grateful for Manuka Oval and Heritage Bank Stadium for making it possible to host finals matches."
The confirmation of finals venues comes after the league confirmed last week the match between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers that was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch in Geelong would not be rescheduled, in part due to the limited access to venues.
The two teams to be awarded one point each as a result.
CA said in a statement the circumstances that led to the match being abandoned after water from overnight rain seeped under the covers and onto the pitch remained the subject of an ongoing investigation.
"While various options to reschedule were explored, it became apparent rescheduling would be challenging due to a variety of factors, including the existing schedule across the two clubs and limited access to venues," the statement read.
Perth Scorchers will be eyeing the BBL's first every three-peat should the maintain their place in the top four when BBL|13 regular season concludes on January 17.
While exact timings for each of the finals will be confirmed later in the season, all four matches will be played in prime time and broadcast on Channel Seven, Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
KFC BBL|13 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HEA
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.972 | 0 | 16 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.339 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.725 | 0 | 13 |
|
4
STR
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.331 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
HUR
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.268 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
STA
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.051 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
REN
|
10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | -0.288 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | -0.652 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
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