Cricket Australia on Thursday announced the schedule for the first 21 Big Bash League (BBL) 2020-21 matches in December in which it confirmed that bubbles in Hobart and Canberra will host the initial games starting December 10 before venues in Queensland (December 23) and Adelaide (December 28) join the party.
Blundstone Arena will host the season opener between Hobart Hurricanes and defending champions Sydney Sixers.
Venues for matches scheduled in the New Year will be announced in the coming weeks, said Cricket Australia while expressing hope that the “easing of border restrictions around the country will allow matches to be played in every state throughout the tournament”.
“This is, without doubt, the most complex fixturing task ever undertaken by the League and we are excited with where it has landed. It has been a difficult year for so many people around Australia and we look forward to bringing the BBL to every state should border conditions allow us to,” said Alistair Dobson, Cricket Australia’s Head of Big Bash Leagues.
“We are working through scenarios for the remaining 35 regular season matches and Finals series to be played in the New Year with our clubs, broadcasters, partners, and governments. An announcement on these venues will be made in the coming weeks,” he added.
Only nine matches will have been played before the first Test between Australia and India begins in Adelaide from December 17. BBL will then take a two-day break when the Border-Gavaskar series begins but days three and four of the pink-ball Test will see BBL matches being played in the morning. For the rest of the Test series, BBL games have been scheduled after stumps.
