The Big Bash League (known as the KFC Big Bash League for sponsorship reasons, often referred to as the BBL or Big Bash) is an Australian professional franchise Twenty20 cricket league, established by Cricket Australia in 2011. History of Big Bash League.
The Big Bash League replaces the previous competition, the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, and features eight city-based franchises instead of the six state teams that previously participated. The competition has been sponsored by fast food chicken outlet KFC since its inception.
It is one of the two T20 cricket leagues, along with the Indian Premier League, which is among the top ten domestic sports leagues in terms of average attendance. The winner of BBL 11 (2021/2022) was Perth Scorchers who defeated Sydney Sixers by 79 runs in the final.
BBL matches are played in summer in Australia. In December, January and February.
BBL Teams
Six of the eight teams in the tournament have won the title at least once. The Perth Scorchers are the most successful team in the league’s short history, having won the title four times in a row spanning two years. The Sydney Sixers have won the title three times, including two years in a row. The other four teams to win the title are Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades, Brisbane Heat, and Sydney Thunder.
Prior to 2014, the top two teams in the tournament qualified for the Champions League of the best teams in the World Twenty20 tournament, an annual international Twenty20 competition played between the top domestic teams of different countries. The Champions League Twenty20 was defunct after its 2014 tournament.
In 2015
In 2015, former Black Caps captain and Melbourne Stars coach Stephen Fleming suggested expanding the tournament to include teams from New Zealand and become a trans-Tasman competition. He said the expansion into New Zealand would have broad support from local people. Brisbane Heat coach and former Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori also echoed his views.
Melbourne Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry also said he wanted Cricket Australia to give each club a fifth home match next season. Coventry said the BBL is set to expand from eight to 10 games, and adding the matches will further establish the franchises.
Big Bash League Season
In 2016, BBL chief Anthony Everard played down the league’s intentions to approach expansion through a soft launch. He said the short- to medium-term goal was to schedule BBL games featuring existing franchises in regional markets before potentially adding new teams after the 2017-18 season when the broadcast deal expires. He also indicated that the regional markets of Canberra, Geelong, and the Gold Coast would likely host games during the soft launch period.
On 27 January 2017, Everard announced that an extra eight matches would be added to the 2017–18 season and asked each existing franchise to look at new markets where the extra games would be played, although the longer season 2018– was not implemented. 19.
In 2018, it was reported that the Gold Coast Suns were interested in acquiring a Big Bash League franchise if the competition was expanded.
Women’s Big Bash League
Former women’s Test captain and head of Brisbane’s Center of Excellence, Belinda Clarke, revealed on 19 January 2014. That plans for a women’s BBL were in the early stages but could become a reality very soon. He said the proposal was being considered due to the huge increase in television ratings during the 2013-14 season. And the growing popularity of women’s cricket.
On 19 February 2015, Cricket Australia announced that the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) would begin in the 2015–16 season, with teams aligned to the men’s competition. It was announce that the teams would share the names and colors of the existing men’s BBL teams, meaning there would be two teams from Sydney and Melbourne and one each from Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, and Perth.
Sydney Thunder won the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League by 3 wickets against Sydney Sixers. The reigning champions from WBBL07 are the Perth Scorchers who beat the Adelaide Strikers by 12 runs to win their first title.
Tournament Format
Since the inception of the BBL in 2011, the tournament has followed the same format. Every year except for the inaugural season. There were 28 group stage matches in the first BBL season before the number increased to 32 the following season.
Beginning in the 2018–19 season, each team plays all other teams twice during the season. For a total of 56 regular season matches before the finals series.
In the previous season of the tournament, the group stage matches were divide into eight rounds. With four matches played in each round. Each team played six other teams once and one team twice during a season. This allowed both Sydney and Melbourne to play 2 derbies in the same season. History of Big Bash League.
BBL is Famous League in the World
Each team played eight group stage matches, four at home. And four away before the top four ranked teams advanced to the semi-finals. In the 2017/18 season, the format was change so that there would be 40 group stage matches. With each team playing 10 matches before the semi-finals. The season held over a similar time frame resulting in more doubleheaders (one game afternoon, one game night). And teams playing more regularly. History of Big Bash League.
The final of the tournament is play at the home ground of the highest rank team. The only exception to this rule was the 2014–15 season. When the final was play at a neutral venue (Manuka Oval) due to the 2015 Cricket World Cup. For more details click here