Cricket throws down gauntlet

Summer sport in moves to reclaim its territory after AFL incursion

CRICKET CRICKET Australia will extend the Big Bash League deeper into February next year in a clear message to the AFL – this is not your season.

Chief executive James Sutherland said yesterday it was crucial that kids returned to school eager to play the summer sport and to ensure ground access.

The AFL has attempted to swallow cricket’s spotlight by scheduling the AFLW and then the AFLX competitions in February. But Sutherland said his sport would respond by untangling its overlapping schedule all the way from October until March. The cricket boss revealed: A FULL home-and-away BBL season – 14 games per club, up from 10 – was “on the drawing board” for next year;

THE WBBL season would eventually be brought forward to October-November; and

THE expanded BBL would not eat into the 10-round Sheffield Shield.

“The traditional cricket season is six months of the year – October to March,” Sutherland said.

“From a competitor perspective, we’re very keen to make sure that it’s very clear it’s still cricket season in February.

“We’re very keen to ensure the Big Bash League season finishes with a bang and reaches a nice climax in mid-February, or even later.”

Sutherland said the BBL would “take on a very different shape” after the school holidays. In February the league will adopt an AFL-style fixture with double-headers staged from Friday-Sunday and days off during the week.

The BBL finals are also set for an overhaul. The top two franchises are likely to be given a double chance while venues could be predetermined Super Bowl-style.