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Big Bash League: Dates, venues, history & how to watch

Australia's premier Twenty20 tournament lights up the winter months for fans in the UK and is set to return in December for its 14th season.

The eight-team tournament runs from mid-December to late-January and features some of the most exciting cricket on the calendar.

Brisbane Heat will defend their title in 2024/25 as some of the top stars from around the globe once more descend on the land Down Under.

Big Bash League dates

The Big Bash League starts on Sunday 15th December, with the final to be played on Monday 27th January, 2025.

The competition takes a break for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with a New Year's tussle between Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers amongst the festive highlights.

Big Bash League times

With the UK-Australia time difference, Big Bash League matches typically start early in the morning UK-time.

Start times for BB14 vary in the UK from 05:00-10:15, but by far the most popular start time is a very manageable 08:15 UK time, which includes all the playoff games and the final.

Big Bash League teams

Eight teams will once again feature in the 2024/25 Big Bash League.

They are: Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

Big Bash League venues

The eight franchises all have home venues, with capacities varying from 22,000 at the Sydney Showground Stadium to a massive 100,000 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The eights venues for 2024/25 are: Adelaide Oval (Adelaide Strikers), The Gabba (Brisbane Heat), Bellerive Oval (Hobart Hurricanes), Docklands Stadium (Melbourne Renegades), MCG (Melbourne Stars), Perth Stadium (Perth Scorchers), Sydney Cricket Ground (Sydney Sixers) and the Sydney Showground Stadium (Sydney Thunder).

The final of the tournament is played at the home ground of the highest-ranked team from the group stage.

Big Bash League how to watch

The Big Bash League has traditionally been shown on Sky Sports and its dedicated Sky Sports Cricket channel in the UK, with the broadcaster expected to retain the rights once again for BB14.

Big Bash League history

Perth Scorchers are the most successful Big Bash franchise with five overall wins, the most recent in 2022/23. The Heat won their second Big Bash title in 2023/24, defeating the Sixers in the final at the SCG.

Aussie Chris Lynn has scored the most runs (3725) in Big Bash League history and he has also hit the most sixes (208), while compatriot Sean Abbott has taken the most wickets (165).

Glenn Maxwell's 154 in 2022 is the highest innings, while Marcus Stewart and Hilton Cartwright's 207 for the Stars in 2020 is the highest partnership for any wicket.

In the field, Josh Phillippe has the most dismissals as wicket-keeper with 80, while Jordan Silk's tally of 76 catches is a benchmark.

Thunder have taken the wooden spoon on five occasions, two more than the Renegades, while the Strikers and Hurricanes are the only sides to avoid finishing bottom of the pile.

Big Bash League format

Big Bash League games are played in the standard Twenty20 format, where both teams have a single innings each, which is restricted to a maximum of twenty overs, ensuring a fast-paced contest that is designed for excitement and thrills.

For the 2023/24 season the Big Bash League was reduced from 61 games down to 44.

Each team now plays 10 games in the group stages, playing three teams twice, and four teams once; with points awarded to form a league table.

The top four teams at the end of the group stage advance to the playoffs, where four more games decide the overall winner.

First against second in the group stage play the 'qualifier' and the winner goes to the final.

Third and fourth in the group stage play in the 'knockout' with the winner of that game going into the 'challenger' - where they face the losing team from the 'qualifier'.

The final pits the winner from the qualifier against the winner of the challenger.

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