The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is looking to build on the success of last season with more prime-time matches, affordable entry and greater opportunities for families to watch the action as the Australian women’s T20 league prepares to begin its 12th edition next week.
Alistair Dobson, Executive General Manager of Big Bash Leagues, announced the launch of Weber WBBL 12 at the Sydney Botanic Gardens on Friday, October 23, with several top talents, including Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield in attendance. The league will follow the Australia women team’s triumph at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in July.
The new season will begin on Thursday, October 29, with a historic double-header under lights at Junction Oval in St Kilda, Melbourne. The Melbourne Renegades will take on Sydney Thunder before the Melbourne Stars face defending champions Hobart Hurricanes.
The opening week will feature home matches across
The opening week will feature home matches across all Australian states, including a double-header at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney. The Hurricanes will also return to Ninja Stadium, where they will host the Renegades, revisiting the venue of their WBBL 11 triumph.
Speaking at the launch, Dobson described the WBBL as “the best and the toughest cricket league in women’s cricket” and said the organisers had focused on making the competition more accessible to fans.
“This season’s been built very much with our fans in mind. We’ve got more games in prime time across the season period, opportunities for kids and families and mums and dads and cricket fans to watch the games on TV and get to matches in their local area after work and after school,” he said.
The league has also increased the number
The league has also increased the number of weekend matches, while investment in venues is expected to improve the experience for spectators Dobson said, adding that affordability remained an important consideration as the WBBL looked to attract larger crowds.
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The WBBL final will be played in prime time on December 5 on a Saturday night.
With Australian stars from the recent T20 World Cup campaign and leading international players expected to feature, the league is also looking to strengthen its appeal beyond Australia.
In a conversation with Connected to India, Dobson
In a conversation with Connected to India, Dobson expressed interest in the possibility of taking WBBL matches to India in the future, while pointing to the growing cricketing relationship between the two countries.
Speaking about the BBL’s historic opener in Chennai on December 12, Dobson said, “We’re really excited about bringing the BBL game to Chennai in December. I think that’s such an exciting opportunity for our league and our players and our clubs.”
Asked whether the league is planning to stage WBBL matches in India, Dobson said the organisers would assess the outcome of the Chennai fixture, where defending champions Perth Scorchers will take on Melbourne Renegades, before considering future plans.
We’ll get through that game and sort
“We’ll get through that game and sort of assess it after that in terms of the success of that. We’re really optimistic in the moment and then yeah, who knows in the future? I think the connection between our two countries is going from strength to strength and obviously cricket plays a big part of that, so we’ll see,” he said.
The Chennai fixture will provide an opportunity to assess the response to the WBBL in the Indian market, where Australian women cricketers, including Ellyse Perry, enjoy a strong following.
Dobson said the competition had an international audience and noted that players returning from the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India often spoke positively about their experiences.
In Australia, WBBL matches will be available through Channel Seven and Fox Cricket.
The league is also looking to connect more
The league is also looking to connect more closely with the Indian community in Australia, Dobson said.
The EGM said, “Yeah, I mean, I think playing a game in general is obviously a part of it, not just in India, but the Indian community in Australia, to show that we’re authentic and we want to build that connection, so lots of activities there. And then obviously we’re fortunate enough in the WBBL for Indian players to be able to come and play, so whenever they’re in our competition, it’s exciting.”
Reflecting on the Big Bash Leagues’ approach to attracting spectators, Dobson said the family experience remained central to the competition’s identity.
“I think for us, and we always come back to that family proposition, where we know that the Big Bash is something that families want to come and experience together. It’s those shared moments in the Australian summer that you can come and be part of with your family and your friends, and I think that’s always at the heart of it,” he said.
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com
