Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Opening two weeks of Weber WBBL|07 will now be played in Hobart and Launceston
The Sydney Thunder will kick off their Weber WBBL title defence in Tasmania, with the first 20 matches of the world’s premier women’s cricket league to be held on the Apple Isle.
The opening two weeks of Weber WBBL|07 will be now played in Hobart and Launceston, with matches scheduled for Blundstone Arena, University of Tasmania Stadium and Invermay Park.
Changes to the published schedule have been made in response to public health conditions, state border restrictions and their related impacts. The Weber WBBL is committed to ensuring the safety of all fans, participants and the wider community throughout the competition.
Twelve of the first 20 matches will be played at their originally scheduled date and time, including the season opener between the Sixers and Melbourne Stars on Thursday 14 October from 7:40pm AEDT, now at Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
The Thunder will play their first of five games in Tasmania two days later with a clash against the Adelaide Strikers on Saturday 16 October from 7:05pm AEDT, at Blundstone Arena.
The move means the scheduled opening week of games can no longer take place in Sydney, with Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon sending fans a message of hope and support.
“Unfortunately, the current public health situation in Sydney isn’t conducive to playing the opening weeks of the Weber WBBL at home as originally scheduled,” Germon said.
“While that’s disappointing for our fans, we will continue to work with the League and governments to ensure the Thunder play their part in a safe and successful season.
“We saw last season just how resilient and incredibly determined this Sydney Thunder team is when they went all the way to their second WBBL title in a very different tournament where the players were in a hub for almost two months.
“The bulk of that squad is back this season and I have no doubt the experience and hard work of Head Coach Trevor Griffin and the skipper Rachael Haynes will have the team ready to handle anything that is thrown at them.
“We know our fans will be there too, continuing to support the club remotely and we look forward to having the Thunder return to their Western Sydney heartland as soon as possible.”
The adjustments to the schedule reaffirm the League’s commitment to cementing cricket as a leading sport for women and girls. The Weber WBBL is Australia’s fourth highest rating sporting league and we look forward to seeing the world’s best players come together for another full home-and-away season.
The League will continue to monitor public health conditions, state border restrictions and their related impacts in relation to the remainder of the Weber WBBL|07 schedule
Information regarding ticket availability to Weber WBBL|07 matches will be available in due course.
Seven will broadcast 24 matches of Weber WBBL|07, with Foxtel to show 47 matches. Kayo will stream all matches. Matches will also be broadcast on ABC Radio and cricket.com.au.
CONFIRMED SYDNEY THUNDER TASMANIAN FIXTURES
Matches to be played in the Tasmania block with adjusted dates and/or times are:
1. Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers: Saturday 16 October from 7:05pm AEDT, Blundstone Arena
2. Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers: Saturday 23 October from 3:40pm AEDT, University of Tasmania Stadium
3. Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder: Sunday 24 October from 5:15pm AEDT, University of Tasmania Stadium
4. Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder: Rescheduled to Tuesday 26 October from 3:40pm AEDT, University of Tasmania Stadium
5. Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades: Rescheduled to Wednesday 27 October from 3:40pm AEDT, University of Tasmania Stadium
ADDITIONAL SYDNEY THUNDER FIXTURE CHANGES
The following matches will be rescheduled to a date and time to be confirmed:
6. Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder: Originally scheduled for Sunday 17 October
7. Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Thunder: Originally scheduled for Tuesday 19 October
The revised fixture for all teams can be found here.
