Photo Credit: Melbourne Renegades
The Weber Women’s Big Bash League will make its long-awaited return to Victoria this summer.
After two seasons of matches being played interstate due to the impacts of COVID-19, the Melbourne Renegades will be back with a bang in WBBL|08, playing six matches throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria.
This will include three matches at the CitiPower Centre, two matches at Ballarat’s Eastern Oval and one match in Moe.
The Renegades will begin their season on October 16 against the Adelaide Strikers in Mackay. Following two matches there and two matches in Adelaide, the team will return to play in Victoria for the first time since WBBL|05.
From October 29 to October 31, the Ballarat Festival of Cricket will take place at Eastern Oval, featuring five teams across four matches.
This includes two Renegades matches across an action-packed weekend – a Melbourne Derby on October 29 and a clash with the Sydney Sixers on October 30.
After three games in Hobart, the Renegades will return to Melbourne. It will have been 1,076 days between matches for the Renegades at the CitiPower Centre.
The Renegades will play the Sixers on November 10, leading into a weekend double-header against the Scorchers on November 12 and a Derby re-match with the Stars on November 13.
A quick stop into Canberra for one game will be followed by the Renegades’ final regular season match, back in Victoria against the Scorchers at Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe.
Melbourne Renegades General Manager, James Rosengarten, said:
“We couldn’t be more excited to have the WBBL back in Victoria this summer and to be hosting matches in Melbourne and Ballarat.
“After two years of playing away from Victoria due to the pandemic, this is fantastic news for our club and players, but most importantly our Renegades members and fans who have been starved of matches through this period.
“We appreciate the support of the Victorian Government and the City of Ballarat in helping us host matches in our home state. To have three Renegades matches at the CitiPower Centre and two Renegades matches as part of a four-game Ballarat Festival of Cricket is a great outcome for our club.
“Over the past seven years, the WBBL has established itself as the world’s premier female T20 competition and we look forward to being able to showcase that again in Victoria after a long hiatus.
“Our team took a huge step forward last season, playing an entertaining brand of cricket and returning to the WBBL finals. It’s an exciting time to be a Renegades supporter and we encourage people to attend a match, enjoy the experience and support our team.”
Victorian Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said:
“We’re proud to support this WBBL festival of cricket in Victoria. There’s never been a better time to get behind a team and enjoy the action right in your own backyard.”
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney, said:
“The City of Ballarat is delighted to be able to make the Eastern Oval home for the Melbourne Renegades for the Ballarat Festival of Cricket.
“This announcement continues the strong partnership between the Melbourne Renegades and City of Ballarat, which was unfortunately placed on hold during COVID-19 restrictions.”
Host broadcaster Seven will show 24 matches live this season – which includes five Renegades matches. All 59 matches will be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo.
The Weber WBBL|08 Finals series will take place following the conclusion of the regular season on November 20, with dates and details of each match to be confirmed.
Tickets to all Weber WBBL|08 matches will be available via pre-sale on August 16 and available to the public from August 18.
Melbourne Renegades memberships for WBBL|08 and BBL|12 will go on sale from August 5. To pre-register for details, click here.
To download the full WBBL|08 fixture to your calendar, click here.
Melbourne Renegades WBBL|08 Squad (so far)
Sophie Molineux (C), Josie Dooley, Ellie Falconer, Harmanpreet Kaur, Carly Leeson, Rhiann O’Donnell, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb
Melbourne Renegades WBBL|08 Fixture
Sun 16 Oct: Renegades v Strikers*, Great Barrier Reef Arena – Mackay, 10.15am
Tues 18 Oct: Heat v Renegades, Great Barrier Reef Arena – Mackay, 3.30pm
Fri 21 Oct: Renegades v Heat, Karen Rolton Oval – Adelaide, 12pm
Mon 24 Oct: Strikers v Renegades, Karen Rolton Oval – Adelaide, 3.30pm
Sat 29 Oct: Renegades v Stars, Eastern Oval – Ballarat, 2pm
Sun 30 Oct: Renegades v Sixers, Eastern Oval – Ballarat, 2.30pm
Thurs 3 Nov: Hurricanes v Renegades*, Blundstone Arena – Hobart, 7.10pm
Sun 6 Nov: Renegades v Thunder*, Blundstone Arena – Hobart, 7.10pm
Thurs 10 Nov: Sixers v Renegades, CitiPower Centre, 3pm
Sat 12 Nov: Renegades v Scorchers*, CitiPower Centre, 10.15am
Sun 13 Nov: Stars v Renegades*, CitiPower Centre, 1.40pm
Tues 15 Nov: Thunder v Renegades, Manuka Oval – Canberra, 7.10pm
Sun 20 Nov: Scorchers v Renegades, Ted Summerton Reserve – Moe, 10.15am
All times listed are AEDT, *denotes Ch 7 broadcast
