Four teams - the Scorchers, Sixers, Renegades and Thunder - are battling it out for two remaining semi-final spots, with seven games to be played across Melbourne, Sydney and Perth
Epic weekend to decide WBBL|05 finalists
The most even edition of the Rebel WBBL to date has set up a blockbuster final weekend of the regular season, with six teams still alive heading into the final seven games.
Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers are set in the top four but will be desperate – along with the third-ranked Perth Scorchers – to win with the team finishing on top to host both semi-finals and the final on December 7-8.
The Scorchers are all-but assured of remaining in the top four but can’t afford to lose both of their remaining games against the Hobart Hurricanes, while the Sydney Sixers, Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder all remain in the running for finals.
Excitingly, all seven games remain alive with even those involving the Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes, the only teams who cannot make finals, set to impact the make-up of the top four.
The Big Weekend action heads to Melbourne, with three matches to be played at Junction Oval across two days.
Renegades eye finals as Big Weekend hits Melbourne
Stars v Renegades | Saturday 10.40am AEDT | Junction Oval
Renegades v Thunder | Sunday 10.40am AEDT | Junction Oval
Stars v Heat | Sunday 3pm AEDT | Junction Oval
Catch the Melbourne Derby and Renegades v Thunder on 7Cricket, Fox Cricket, or live streamed via Kayo and the CA Live app, with radio coverage on the ABC; Stars v Heat will be streamed live on the CA Live app, WBBL Facebook Page and Kayo
First up, the Renegades will take on the Stars, with the red team desperate to turn the tables on their cross-town rivals after suffering an upset seven-wicket defeat in Ballarat last weekend.
"There’s always a bit of heat in the match," Renegades off-spinner Molly Strano said on Friday.
"We’re great rivals, both being Melbourne teams and with a few Victorian players in either side.
"We have two must-win games if we want to sneak into the four, so it’s a good opportunity to play cricket under pressure and if we do come through, it’ll be a good lead up to the finals.
"It’s a fantastic competition … leading into the last round with the top four not being set yet, that shows how even the competition is.
"On their day, anyone can beat anyone and that’s the beauty of it."
While the Stars are out of the running, captain Elyse Villani is determined to finish the season on a high note.
"We’d like to be the reverse end of the table than what we’re at now but we’ve lost some really close games and we’ve seen how even the competition is," Villani said.
"I think the table has us below what we’re displayed as a team and I’m proud of the effort the girls have been putting in … we’d like to finish the season really well with two wins."
They play the Heat on Sunday, with Brisbane needing to win that game, and hope the Strikers either lose both their matches against the Sixers, or drop one and finish with an inferior net run rate, in order to finish on top of the table.
Meanwhile the Thunder remain alive in WBBL|05, but that could well not be the case by the time they take the field against the Renegades on Sunday morning.
To sneak into the top four, the Thunder are relying on the Renegades and Sixers each losing both of their remaining matches – if either team wins on Saturday, that’s season over for the lime green team.
Regardless, they will be determined to send veteran Alex Blackwell off on a winning note after the Australian great announced her WBBL retirement on Thursday.
Blackwell has enjoyed 18 years at domestic level and captained the Thunder to the inaugural title in WBBL|01.
She is their best performed batter this season, having hit 316 runs at 31.6 including a match-winning 67 against the Stars on Wednesday.
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Sixers out to snap losing streak as Strikers eye history
Sixers v Strikers |Saturday & Sunday 2pm AEDT | Hurstville Oval
Watch live and free on cricket.com.au, CA Live app and the WBBL Facebook page, stream via Kayo, tune in on ABC radio
Adelaide Strikers allrounder Sophie Devine insists her team will not be distracted by the prospect of a home final when they meet the Sydney Sixers twice at Hurstville Oval this weekend.
Win both games and the Strikers will host both semi-finals and the final on December 7-8.
But standing in their way is a curious piece of history; in four seasons they have never beaten the Sixers.
"We're just keen to beat the Sixers for the first time ever," Devine told cricket.com.au.
"I think Alyssa Healy doesn't like us or something because she always seems to score big runs against us.
"So that's what our focus is on, these next two games. If we manage to win them, next week will look after itself."
The Strikers have been the most improved team of WBBL|05, rising up the ladder after missing finals last year.
Devine puts that improvement down to years of work put into building their squad, as well as some strategic recruitment.
Meanwhile, the Sixers will draw confidence from their record against the Strikers.
"They’ve played some really good cricket this year, but I think we match up really well against their side, particularly our batters facing their bowlers," Sixers allrounder Ashleigh Gardner said.
"We can take confidence from that, we generally play good cricket at Hurstville Oval so hopefully we can do that on Saturday and Sunday."
Scorchers out to continue winning ways
Scorchers v Hurricanes |Saturday & Sunday 2pm AWST (5pm AEDT) | Lilac Hill
Watch live and free on cricket.com.au, CA Live app and the WBBL Facebook page, stream via Kayo, tune in on ABC radio
Perth might be all-but confirmed in the top four, but they will have plenty to play for in two matches against the Hobart Hurricanes at Lilac Hill.
If they win both games and the Heat and Strikers lose theirs, they can sneak into top spot and earn the right to host finals at the WACA Ground.
Given star internationals Amy Jones and Nat Sciver depart for England duties next week and will miss finals, the Scorchers also have a chance to give valuable time in the middle to those who will have to step up in the absence of the top-order batters - including wicketkeeper Georgia Redmaybe - while also giving overs to the bowlers who still fill the void left by allrounder Sciver.
It is season over for the Hurricanes but after two defeats at home last weekend they will be desperate to end the season on a high note.
Squads (so far)
Melbourne Renegades: Jess Duffin (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maitlan Brown, Josie Dooley, Erica Kershaw, Anna Lanning, Carly Leeson, Courtney Neale, Molly Strano, Lea Tahuhu, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb, Danni Wyatt
Melbourne Stars: Elyse Villani (c), Kristen Beams, Lucy Cripps, Mignon du Preez, Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Emma Inglis, Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin, Erin Osborne, Annabel Sutherland
Sydney Sixers: Alyssa Healy (c), Sarah Aley, Holly Armitage, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Jodie Hicks, Marizanne Kapp, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Dane van Niekerk
Adelaide Strikers: Suzie Bates (c), Ellie Falconer, Sarah Coyte, Sophie Devine, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Tegan McPharlin, Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Alex Price, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Lauren Winfield
Perth Scorchers: Meg Lanning (c), Jemma Barsby, Samantha Betts, Nicole Bolton, Mathilda Carmichael, Amy Edgar, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Kath Hempenstall, Amy Jones, Emma King, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Georgia Redmayne, Natalie Sciver
Hobart Hurricanes: Corinne Hall (c), Nicola Carey, Erin Fazackerley, Maisy Gibson, Brooke Hepburn, Heather Knight, Emma Manix-Geeves, Sasha Moloney, Meg Phillips, Chloe Tryon, Belinda Vakarewa, Tayla Vlaeminck, Fran Wilson
*The Heat and Thunder will name their squads on Saturday