2010-11 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash schedule announced
Thu, 27 May 2010
The 2010-11 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash will feature an additional three matches after the schedule was announced by Cricket Australia (CA) today.
The competition will again be played across the January holiday period and broadcast live on FOX SPORTS, with the expanded schedule taking the total number of matches to 20 to ensure each team plays three home and three away matches.
Season six of the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash will open on 30 December with the Retravision Warriors and PKF Tasmania Tigers meeting at the WACA. Four-time winners and 2009-10 Champions, the DEC Victorian Bushrangers, will open their title defence at home against the XXXX GOLD Queensland Bulls on 2 January in a rematch of last year's Preliminary Final. The final match of the opening round on 4 January will feature the West End Redbacks, the breakout performers from last season, against 2008-09 Champions, the RTA SpeedBlitz Blues.
The competition will follow a similar format to last season with the top team after the regular season qualifying automatically for the Final and 2011 Airtel Champions League Twenty20. Their opponent in the Final will be decided through a Preliminary Final between the second- and third-placed teams.
International stars are again expected to feature prominently with each team permitted to sign two players outside their contract list. A number of signings have already been announced with some of international cricket's biggest stars committing to a second season for their respective teams.
Chris Gayle is returning for a second season with the Warriors and in 2010-11 he'll be joined by fellow West Indian Kemar Roach.
The pair's West Indies teammate, Dwayne Bravo, will also be back with the Bushrangers, while Kieron Pollard, the joint player of the Big Bash last season, makes the Redbacks instant contenders once again.
Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan, one of world Twenty20's most exciting players, will make his KFC Twenty20 Big Bash debut with the RTA SpeedBlitz Blues as they look to rebound from a disappointing campaign last season.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said: "The KFC Twenty20 Big Bash is the most exciting concept to have emerged in Australian sports in recent years and there's no doubt the tribal following that has developed for the teams is a major reason for its success."
"We couldn't have asked for any more from last year's competition. The evenness and quality of matches, as well as the performances of the Australian and international players, were major reasons so many people watched it at grounds or at home on television.
"While the international imports had a huge impact last season, what was even more exciting was the performance of the uncapped Australian talent which catapulted them into the spotlight of national selection. Steven Smith, Dan Christian and Travis Birt all converted their spectacular KFC Twenty20 Big Bash form into Australian Twenty20 representation and there's no doubt this season will again produce more new faces for Andrew Hilditch and the selectors to consider.
"A spot in the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 is again a lucrative incentive for the top two teams and despite Victoria setting the standard in world domestic Twenty20 cricket over the past five years, one of the biggest attractions of the competition is that it's impossible to predict who will contest the Final in early February.
"If last year is any indication, fans can look forward to another season of high-energy, closely-fought Twenty20 cricket. Combined with the battle for the Ashes, it shapes as a bumper summer for Australian cricket."
FOX SPORTS chief executive David Malone said: "The KFC Twenty20 Big Bash was a phenomenal success story last summer not only for FOX SPORTS, but for the game of Twenty20 cricket and domestic cricket in Australia.
"The tournament inspired a passionate response from fans, which has been recognised in the expansion of the competition for the 2010-11 summer.
"FOX SPORTS will once again deliver live and exclusive coverage of every match in the tournament, and looks forward to working alongside our partners CA to contribute to an even more successful 2010-11 season."
ABC Local Radio will offer live ball-by-ball coverage while fans can also follow the action on cricket.com.au for live scores and a comprehensive preview and wrap of each match.
DEC Bushrangers matches:
Sunday, Jan 2: Victoria v Queensland @ MCG - 19:00
Saturday, Jan 8: South Australia v Victoria @ Adelaide Oval - 19:00
Tuesday, Jan 11: Tasmania v Victoria @ Bellerive Oval - 19:00
Tuesday, Jan 18: Western Australia v Victoria @ WACA - 17.30
Saturday, Jan 22: Victoria v NSW @ MCG - 19:00
Friday, Jan 28: Victoria v South Australia @ MCG - 19:00
Tuesday, Feb 1: Preliminary final - TBC
Saturday, Feb 5: Final - TBC
NOTE: If Western Australia earns right to host the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash Final, the match will be played on Friday 4 February at the WACA due to the Commonwealth Bank Series match between Australia and England at the same venue on Sunday 6 February
