MCG, SCG Miss Out on WBBL Season as Stadium Series Put on Hold

Cricket Australia has announced that the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) will not host any regular-season Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) matches in the upcoming season, shelving the high-profile Stadium Series. This decision is attributed to a packed schedule.

The WBBL season is compressed into a 35-day window from November 9 to December 13, designed to fit between the Women's ODI World Cup in India and the start of the men's Big Bash League. Only one major stadium will feature in the schedule: Adelaide Oval will host two matches on November 28, making it the sole survivor of the Stadium Series this season.

BBL general manager Alistair Dobson explained that the crowded calendar left no room to properly stage more high-profile stadium events. While seeking the right venues and promotion opportunities each season, scheduling constraints this year prevented optimizing games at the big stadiums, though Dobson emphasized this doesn't preclude a return in future seasons.

Despite the absence of regular-season games, the MCG remains a contender to host the WBBL final on December 13 if a Melbourne team earns the right. This is because Melbourne's typical WBBL venue, Junction Oval, won't have lighting ready for the prime-time Saturday final. Other potential final venues with adequate lighting include North Sydney Oval, Allan Border Field, the WACA, and Karen Rolton Oval (as an Adelaide alternative since Adelaide Oval is unavailable due to Ashes preparations). The SCG, Gabba, and Perth Stadium are seen as unlikely final hosts.

Further complicating scheduling, clubs have raised concerns about needing to play games at neutral venues to reduce broadcast logistics. Broadcasters Channel Seven and Foxtel required limits on equipment movement across the travel-heavy season, forcing Cricket Australia into compromises. An example given is the Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers meeting in Adelaide just two days before the Adelaide Strikers and Scorchers play in Melbourne.