Cricket Australia eyes bigger and bashier BBL in 2017-18

PERTH Scorchers reinforced their overwhelming superiority in Australian Twenty20 cricket on Saturday as they routed Sydney Sixers to claim a third Big Bash League crown in six years.

That might have been the last time they played at the WACA Ground, which will be superseded by the currently under-construction Perth Stadium next summer.

That won’t be the only significant change for the 2017-18 season.

Cricket Australia announced last Friday that the men’s Big Bash campaign would be extended to 43 games for its seventh staging, with each of the eight teams playing an additional home fixture.

In a recent interview with ESPN Cricinfo, BBL manager Will Everard said the lengthened schedule was a natural expansion step for the league after introducing the women’s competition two years ago.

“With that, we have already gone from eight teams and 35 games to effectively 16 teams and almost 100 games,” Everard said.

“Given the importance the WBBL plays in broadening our fanbase with half the population, that is a legitimate form of expansion in its own right.”

The last two editions of the T20 Big Bash have enjoyed a massive spike in national interest and crowd attendances, with several venues averaging well over 30,000 punters per game.

Everard said he expected that trend to continue as casual fans and diehards alike tune in for the 2017-18 Ashes Test series.

There is even talk of expanding to Asia, with Hong Kong Cricket said to be very interested in the idea of hosting Big Bash fixtures.

Abbott sets sights on Australia T20 spot

He may not have walked away from the WACA with a champion’s medal, but Sean Abbott was among the biggest winners in BBL06.

The Sixers seamer led the division’s wicket-taking stakes by quite a margin, snagging 20 at a very impressive 11.1 strike rate.

With Australia to welcome Sri Lanka for a trio of Twenty20 International games in February, Abbott will be right in the mix for selection with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, et al away on Test duty in India.

The 24-year-old is confident of making an impact if given the chance to add to his three T20I caps.

“I’m ready to step up,” Abbott told the press recently.

“If they see that I’m a good fit for that team… I’m ready for it.

“I feel like I’m in pretty good form and I can still play better cricket. I can still improve on a lot of things.”

Abbott was especially impressive in the final stages of the Sixers’ win over Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash semi finals, finishing with four wickets and keeping the ever-dangerous Brendon McCullum under wraps in the decisive super over.

Economy is not his forte – he went at 8.72 per over this season – but the New South Welshman understands that T20 cricket is a cruel game for bowlers.

“Things are going pretty well for me at the minute,” Abbott continued.

“You can rock up and bowl all your best balls and get hit for six with guys like Brendon McCullum and Benny Cutting.

“Or you can come out and bowl not so great and take a bagful.

“By far and away this has been my best season.”

Abbott has not featured for Australia since 2014, when he played one ODI and a trio of T20 fixtures as a 22-year-old.

Australia’s focus already on India despite NZ and Sri Lanka dates

The international scheduling this summer has left players, pundits and punters rather bemused, and this particular segment of the season is perhaps the most baffling of all.

Having played a three-match ODI series with New Zealand only in December, the Aussies have gone across the ditch for a second Chappell-Hadlee Trophy stoush in the space of two months.

After that, they will host Sri Lanka in a curious set of Twenty20 fixtures that has raised eyebrows for a number of reasons.

There are no major international T20 tournaments in the offing this year, meaning there is no quantifiable reason to schedule such a series at such a time.

For another, the likes of Warner, Smith, Starc, Hazlewood, Maxwell, O’Keefe and Wade will be in India for a hotly anticipated Test series that is hogging all the limelight.

Series betting for that tour is lopsided, to say the least, with online bookmaker Sportsbet.com.au quoting $9 for Australia to triumph on the Asian subcontinent for the first time since 2004.

Not only that, punters are backing India – currently the ICC’s top-ranked Test nation – to take the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a clean sweep.

A 4-0 result for the hosts is paying $3.25, while Australia’s shortest winning price is $13 for a 2-1 outcome.

Steve Smith ($3.25) is the obvious favourite to top the tourists’ batting charts and Mitch Starc ($3) heads up the top wicket-taker betting.

2017 Australia vs. India series betting

India – $1.20

Australia – $9

Correct series score

India 4-0 – $3.25

India 3-0 – $3.50

India 3-1 – $4.33

India 2-1 – $6

India 2-0 – $13

India 1-0 – $67

Draw 2-2 – $15

Draw 1-1 – $21

Draw 0-0 – $276

Australia 1-0 – $101

Australia 2-0 – $81

Australia 2-1 – $13

Australia 3-1 – $41

Australia 3-0 – $101

Australia 4-0 – $101

Top Australia series batsman

Steve Smith – $3.25

David Warner – $3.50

Usman Khawaja – $5

Peter Handscomb – $6

Matthew Renshaw – $6.50

Shaun Marsh – $11

Glenn Maxwell – $17

Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade – $41

(Others quoted)

Top Australia series bowler

Mitchell Starc – $3

Nathan Lyon – $3.50

Josh Hazlewood – $3.75

Stephen O’Keefe – $4.50

Ashton Agar – $11

Jackson Bird, Mitch Swepson – $13

Glenn Maxwell – $21

Mitchell Marsh – $34

Steve Smith – $101

All markets provided by Sportsbet.com.au