With a blockbuster double-header of action, today's games are all-but make-or-break deciders for the finals chances of two clubs
BBL Finals race: Season on the line for Stars, Heat
The Melbourne Stars face the daunting prospect of toppling a red-hot Perth Scorchers side today to keep their KFC BBL Finals destiny in their own hands, while it's do-or-die time for the Brisbane Heat.
Perth are backing up today with a game against the Stars this evening (7.15pm AEDT, Seven, Foxtel, Kayo) that starts just 24 hours after their 22-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes was wrapped up. And in today's early action, the Melbourne Renegades will be out to spoil another side's final hopes when they host the Brisbane Heat at Marvel Stadium (4.05pm AEDT, Foxtel, Kayo).
The Sydney Thunder's big win over the Sydney Sixers last night has meant the race for the top two spots in BBL|10 is still wide open. Only 11 points separate the top seven teams with two games remaining for each club, and any one of them could yet finish with a double-chance of making the finals.
You can check the full ladder and fixtures here on our BBL|10 series page, and below is a reminder of the BBL's five-team finals schedule and an updated club-by-club look at each team and what they can expect as the regular season reaches its climax.
BBL|10 Finals Series
(venues TBC, all matches will be screened on Channel 7, Fox Cricket & Kayo)
Friday Jan 29: The Eliminator (Fourth v Fifth)
Saturday Jan 30: The Qualifier (First v Second)
Sunday Jan 31: The Knockout (Third v Winner of The Eliminator)
Thurs Feb 4: The Challenger (Loser of The Qualifier v Winner of The Knockout)
Sat Feb 6: The Final (Winner of The Qualifier v Winner of The Challenger)
1st: Sydney Sixers (32 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 8 | Lost: 4 | Bash Boost points: 8 | NRR: 0.310
The run home
Jan 24 v Hurricanes @ MCG
Jan 26 v Stars @ MCG
The Sixers were last night swept away by an Alex Hales storm at the Adelaide Oval's short square boundaries, but at least know they are guaranteed a finals spot. But they didn't collect any points against the Thunder, which leaves them still needing five points from their remaining two games to guarantee themselves top spot. That would give them hosting rights for the Qualifier final, but whether that can be played in Sydney will hinge on border closures and government travel restrictions. Four points will get them safely into the top two. The Sixers welcomed back Moises Henriques last night and still have Sean Abbott in reserve, but while Mitchell Starc has been cleared fit to return to action by Cricket Australia's medicos, he's yet to confirm he'll play in the BBL Finals.
2nd: Perth Scorchers (28 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 7 | Lost: 4 | NR: 1 | BB pts: 5 | NRR: 0.986
The run home
Today v Stars @ MCG
Jan 26 v Heat @ Adelaide Oval
After last night's win the Scorchers now sit outright in second spot and are all-but guaranteed to reach the post-season (for the maths boffins, they're a 97.5 per cent chance of making it). So only a catastrophic reversal of form and two defeats – plus other results going against them – could see them slip out of the five, but it remains a faint possibility. All of which means it shapes as one of the games of the summer today when they back-up against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG. A win today – or even a Bash Boost bonus point, honestly, would remove any doubt about their finals campaign. An outright win puts them closer to locking in a top two spot. But they only have five Bash Boost points so far this season, the fewest of any of the current top five teams, and that may yet prove decisive. Also worth keeping an eye on is how Jhye Richardson backs up, with the BKT Golden Arm suggesting back-to-back games will help give him an indication of if he's ready to return to first-class, or even Test cricket.
3rd: Sydney Thunder (27 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 7 | Lost: 5 | BB pts: 6 | NRR: 1.041
The run home
Jan 24 v Strikers @ Adelaide Oval
Jan 25 v Strikers @ Adelaide Oval
After three losses on the trot, last night's 83-run result over the Sydney Sixers was some win, hitting the competition's highest ever innings score on the back of Alex Hales' century. They are, like the Scorchers, not guaranteed Finals cricket yet, but they also now have a great chance to reach the top two. They face top-five rival Adelaide, in Adelaide, for the final two games, that will go a long way to shaping how the finals system plays out. One win for the Thunder will be enough to guarantee a spot in the top five, but two outright wins and they're looking at a spot in the Qualifier and a double chance to make the BBL Final.
4th: Melbourne Stars (24 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 5 | Lost: 6 | NR: 1 | BB pts: 7 | NRR: 0.240
The run home
Today v Scorchers @ MCG
Jan 26 v Sixers @ MCG
First priority for the Melbourne Stars in what has been a turbulent season on and off the field is to make the top five, and they will do that with a win from either of their remaining two games. But that's easier said than done with a tough draw pitting them against the Scorchers then the Sixers – the two current top teams in the competition. Making the top two is a degree of difficulty harder; for that to happen the Stars need to not only collect maximum points from both games, they also need the Scorchers drop more points in their final game against Brisbane on January 26, and for the Sydney Thunder to lose at least one of their final two games. Finishing top isn't out of the realms of possibility but requires Perth, the Sixers and Thunder to suffer serious form reversals, and a massive boost in their own Net Run Rate. Conversely, if the Stars lose both games, they would need big favours from the Thunder to beat Adelaide twice and the Sixers and Renegades to beat Hobart to stay in the Finals picture.
5th: Adelaide Strikers (24 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 6 | Lost: 6 | BB pts: 6 | NRR: 0.159
The run home
Jan 24 v Thunder @ Adelaide Oval
Jan 25 v Thunder @ Adelaide Oval
With both remaining matches at Adelaide Oval against the Sydney Thunder, they have a favourable draw and destiny is in their own hands. Maximum points makes pushing into the top two a possibility, but also two loses and they could find themselves finishing as low as seventh, dependening on other results. They got a result in their favour last night when Hobart lost to Perth, but the Thunder's win over the Sixers, in Adelaide, would have underlined how difficult their task over the next few days will be.
6th: Hobart Hurricanes (23 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 6 | Lost: 6 | BB pts: 5 | NRR: -0.202
The run home
Jan 24 v Sixers @ MCG
Jan 26 v Renegades @ MCG
Having lost to Perth last night the Hurricanes can ill afford to misfire against the Sydney Sixers. But so congested is the ladder, even if they do fail to grab a point against the Sixers, a few other results going their way and they could still make the finals. For that to happen, the Hurricanes would need either the Melbourne Stars or Adelaide to lose both their final games against for Brisbane to not win their final two.
7th: Brisbane Heat (21 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 5 | Lost: 7 | BB pts: 6 | NRR: -0.479
The run home
Today v Renegades @ Marvel Stadium
Jan 26 v Scorchers @ Adelaide Oval
It's a measure of how tight this finals race is that even seventh-placed Brisbane Heat can still make the top five, and could yet even host a Final (border and travel restrictions dependent). But if they cannot beat the last-placed Melbourne Renegades today, it gets nigh-on impossible. If they win today and take the Bash Boost point, the Heat would be as high as fourth ahead of the Stars-Scorchers match. But, if they lose today they face an incredibly tough final match against the Perth Scorchers in the first game of the January 26 triple-header, where anything less than outright win – and a bunch of other results going in their favour – would mean season over.
8th: Melbourne Renegades (13 points)
Played: 12 | Won: 3 | Lost: 9 | BB pts: 4 | NRR: -1.964
The run home
Today v Heat @ Marvel Stadium
Jan 26 v Hurricanes @ MCG
The only team officially out of the BBL|10 Finals race, the Renegades' only motivation is pride, and to disrupt the finals chances of others. It's been a season to forget for Michael Klinger's men, but a good showing in front of their home fans against the Heat tomorrow could well be the final nail in the coffin for Brisbane, and they could do the same to Hobart at the MCG on the season's final day.