Perth eye four-day break before BBL finals

The Perth Scorchers are set to enjoy a four-day break before their KFC BBL|11 finals campaign begins following a reshuffle of the season-ending fixtures by the league today.

Officials have revised the schedule for the final three days of the regular season to fit in the Brisbane Heat's postponed game against the Sydney Sixers from earlier this month, with that match now to be played at the Gabba on January 19.

The Heat were originally scheduled to host Perth on the final day of the regular season, but that match has now been brought forward to the coming Monday, January 17, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

SEE THE REMAINING BBL|11 FIXTURES HERE

It means the Scorchers, who are currently sitting on 37 points, seven clear of second placed Sydney Thunder, will play their final two games tomorrow against the Adelaide Strikers and Monday against the Heat.

The BBL|11 finals are scheduled to begin on January 21, although with a top-two finish all-but certain Perth's first match would be the January 22 qualifier final, giving them the longest break of any club leading into the finals series.

Locations for the finals matches are yet to be determined by league officials but the Scorchers are resigned to not playing again at Optus Stadium given the Western Australian government's hardline border restrictions.

The downside for Perth is wicketkeeper-batter Cameron Bancroft will remain in isolation for the club's final two regular season matches after he was deemed a close contact of a COVID-19 case on January 11, just hours before the Scorchers played the Melbourne Stars in Geelong.

It remains to be seen if any of the players not in Australia's playing XI for the fifth Test will be released back to the BBL, with the national squad likely to keep some bodies in reserve in case concussion or COVID-19 substitutions are required.

Scorchers stars Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis are currently in Hobart with the Australia squad but are not in Australia's plans for the playing XI, while Jhye Richardson is pushing for a berth if Scott Boland fails a fitness Test.

The Adelaide Strikers will play their three remaining games in Adelaide – tomorrow against Perth, Friday against Melbourne and on Monday against the Sixers.

While they finish their regular-season engagements on the same day as the Scorchers, their position on the ladder – currently fifth on 17 points – means they will likely play their first finals match on Jan 21 with three days break.

With the Heat playing the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Sunday, they will now have back-to-back games in the Victorian capital before returning to Queensland to face the Sixers.

That Gabba match against the Sixers means plans for a triple header of fixtures at the MCG to close out the regular season have been shelved, but it will remain a double-header with a Thunder-Renegades clash preceding a Stars-Hurricanes game.

In a boost for the beleaguered Heat, who have slumped to heavy defeats with the core of their squad sidelined with COVID-19 infections, they have confirmed Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman will play all three remaining regular season games.

The final-day clash against the Sixers in Brisbane will be his first game at the Gabba for the Heat after he was prevented from playing in their previous two matches by Queensland's strict border controls.

An extended Heat squad assembles in Melbourne today and tomorrow as the remaining players sidelined with COVID-19 are re-integrated into the playing group ahead of Sunday's clash with the Stars.

Hobart's clash with the Renegades that had been scheduled for Monday at Blundstone Arena has been moved to Tuesday at Marvel Stadium with the Hurricanes' home ground hosting the fifth Ashes Test.

"The challenges of the pandemic have led us to making some difficult decisions, but our priority has always been the safe and successful completion of the season," BBL general manager Alistair Dobson said.

"We believe the two rounds of revisions to the schedule announced in recent days give all involved the best chance of doing so."

The BBL will see morning fixtures played on Friday and Saturday to complete games before play in the day-night fifth Test begins.

But fans of both formats will need Kayo's split-screen function on Saturday and Sunday nights when the Big Bash and Ashes cricket is played concurrently.

Saturday night's Sydney derby at the SCG – a Foxtel/Kayo exclusive – and Sunday's clash between the Stars and Heat at the MCG will both being while the second session of the Hobart Test is in play.