Women’s Big Bash League 2026 Schedule, Teams, Squads and Fixtures

The Women’s Big Bash League 2026, officially known as Weber WBBL|12, is scheduled to run from 29 October to 5 December 2026 in Australia. The 12th edition of the women’s T20 competition features eight city-based franchises and 43 matches, including 40 regular-season games and a three-match finals series.

The participating teams are Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder. The season opens with a double-header at Junction Oval in Melbourne, where the Renegades face the Thunder before the Stars meet the defending champions, Hobart Hurricanes.

Hobart won its maiden WBBL title in 2025 by beating Perth Scorchers by eight wickets in the final at Ninja Stadium. Perth returns as runner-up, while the other six clubs will aim to secure a place in the finals.

Cricket Australia has published the complete fixture schedule and the clubs’ contracted-player lists. The competition retains its three-match finals format: the third- and fourth-placed teams contest the Knockout, the winner meets the second-placed team in the Challenger, and the league leader hosts the Final.

Women’s Big Bash League 2026 Overview

Participating Teams

Eight franchises will compete in WBBL|12:

1. Adelaide Strikers — representing Adelaide, South Australia.
2. Brisbane Heat — representing Brisbane, Queensland.
3. Hobart Hurricanes — representing Hobart, Tasmania, and the defending champions.
4. Melbourne Renegades — one of Melbourne’s two WBBL franchises.
5. Melbourne Stars — Melbourne’s other franchise, with Meg Lanning returning to the captaincy.
6. Perth Scorchers — representing Perth, Western Australia, and last season’s runners-up.
7. Sydney Sixers — one of Sydney’s two franchises.
8. Sydney Thunder — the other Sydney-based team.

All eight teams are confirmed participants in the 2026 competition.

Women’s Big Bash League 2026 Complete Schedule

Opening fixtures

League fixtures: 4–12 November

League fixtures: 14–22 November

Final league fixtures: 25–29 November

WBBL|12 Finals Schedule

The finals venues depend on the final league standings, so the host grounds will be determined after the regular season.

Venues

WBBL|12 is scheduled across venues in several Australian states and territories.

The schedule also features local derbies in Melbourne and Sydney. Junction Oval hosts the opening-day double-header and both Melbourne derbies, while the Sydney Smash fixtures are scheduled for North Sydney Oval and Drummoyne Oval.

Team Squads

Cricket Australia’s latest club-list update provides the players contracted for WBBL|12. These are confirmed contracted players, not necessarily the final match-day squad or playing XI.

Adelaide Strikers — contracted players

Maia Bouchier, Darcie Brown, Emma de Broughe, Sophie Ecclestone, Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Tahlia McGrath, Anesu Mushangwe, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Ella Wilson and Laura Wolvaardt.

Brisbane Heat — contracted players

Lily Bassingthwaighte, Bonnie Berry, Lucinda Bourke, Sianna Ginger, Sarah Glenn, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Annie O’Neil, Orla Prendergast, Georgia Redmayne, Grace Parsons and Mikayla Wrigley.

Hobart Hurricanes — contracted players

Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ella Hayward, Chinelle Henry, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Linsey Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Callie Wilson and Danni Wyatt-Hodge.

Melbourne Renegades — contracted players

Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux, Olivia Porter, Sophie Reid, Chloe Tyron, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb and Annie Wikman.

Melbourne Stars — contracted players

Sophie Day, Charlie Dean, Kim Garth, Dani Gibson, Maisy Gibson, Amy Jones, Meg Lanning, Carly Leeson, Rhys McKenna, Indigo Noble, Georgia Prestwidge, Zoe Samuel, Naomi Stalenberg and Annabel Sutherland.

Perth Scorchers — contracted players

Chloe Ainsworth, Sophie Devine, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Friday, Ebony Hoskin, Freya Kemp, Alana King, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe Piparo, Fatima Sana and Ruby Strange.

Sydney Sixers — contracted players

Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Alice Capsey, Lauren Cheatle, Sarah Coyte, Maddy Darke, Sophia Dunkley, Ashleigh Gardner, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr, Frankie Nicklin, Ellyse Perry and Courtney Sippel.

Sydney Thunder — contracted players

Jemma Barsby, Sam Bates, Lauren Bell, Hannah Darlington, Lucy Finn, Hasrat Gill, Nicola Hancock, Laura Harris, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll and Tahlia Wilson

Tournament Format

WBBL|12 consists of a 40-match league stage followed by three finals. Each of the eight teams competes in the regular season before the standings determine the knockout match-ups.

The finals work as follows:

• Knockout: Third place plays fourth place on 1 December.
• Challenger: The Knockout winner faces the second-placed team on 3 December.
• Final: The league leader hosts the Challenger winner on 5 December.

This structure gives the top-ranked team direct qualification for the Final, while the second-placed team has a second chance through the Challenger. Third and fourth place must win the Knockout to remain in contention.

Previous Edition

The previous edition, WBBL|11, concluded on 13 December 2025 at Ninja Stadium in Hobart. The Hobart Hurricanes defeated Perth Scorchers by eight wickets to win their first WBBL championship.

Perth scored 137/5 in 20 overs. Hobart chased the target, finishing on 141/2 in 15 overs with 30 balls remaining. Lizelle Lee was named Player of the Match after scoring an unbeaten 77 from 44 balls.

Hobart had finished at the top of the regular-season standings before winning the title. Perth qualified for the final after beating Sydney Sixers in the Challenger.

Defending Champions

The Hobart Hurricanes are the defending champions for WBBL|12. Their maiden title in 2025 came after a successful regular season and a convincing final performance against Perth Scorchers.

Lizelle Lee’s unbeaten 77 led the chase, while the bowling unit restricted Perth to 137/5. Hobart begins its title defence against Melbourne Stars on 29 October at Junction Oval.

The Hurricanes will aim to build on their first championship, while the other seven franchises seek to prevent them from retaining the trophy.

Previous Season Runner-Up

Perth Scorchers finished as runners-up in WBBL|11 after losing the final to Hobart Hurricanes by eight wickets. Perth posted 137/5 but could not defend the total as Lee’s innings helped Hobart reach the target with five overs remaining.

The Scorchers return to the competition in 2026, opening their campaign against Melbourne Renegades on 31 October at the WACA Ground in Perth.

Key Players to Watch

The following players are among the confirmed contracted players for WBBL|12. Their selection for particular matches remains subject to team decisions and availability.

• Lizelle Lee — Hobart Hurricanes: The wicketkeeper-batter was Player of the Match in the previous final, scoring an unbeaten 77.
• Meg Lanning — Melbourne Stars: The experienced Australian batter returns to captain the Stars.
• Beth Mooney — Perth Scorchers: A leading batter in the Scorchers’ contracted group and an important part of their batting plans.
• Ashleigh Gardner — Sydney Sixers: An established all-rounder whose batting and off-spin can influence T20 matches.
• Laura Wolvaardt — Adelaide Strikers: The South African top-order batter returns to the Strikers.
• Hayley Matthews — Melbourne Renegades: The West Indies all-rounder is back with the Renegades after missing the previous season.
• Phoebe Litchfield — Sydney Thunder: The Thunder captain is among the club’s confirmed contracted players.
• Sophie Devine — Perth Scorchers: The New Zealand all-rounder returns as part of Perth’s contracted group.

Key Matches

Several fixtures stand out because of the previous season’s results, local rivalries and their place in the tournament schedule.

Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder — 29 October: The season’s opening match launches WBBL|12 at Junction Oval.

Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes — 29 October: The second match of the opening-day double-header features the defending champions.

Hobart Hurricanes vs Perth Scorchers — 19 November: A rematch of the previous final, scheduled at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades — 22 November: The first scheduled Melbourne derby of the season, with another derby on 28 November.

Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers — 8 and 28 November: The two Sydney clubs meet twice during the league stage.

WBBL|12 Final — 5 December: The season’s champion will be decided at the ground of the team that finishes first in the regular-season standings.

Records and History

WBBL|11 delivered the first WBBL championship in Hobart Hurricanes’ history. Their final victory over Perth Scorchers by eight wickets was a defining result for the club.

The most recent final also highlighted Lizelle Lee’s impact: her unbeaten 77 from 44 balls helped Hobart complete the chase with five overs remaining. Perth Scorchers had reached the final by defeating Sydney Sixers by 11 runs in the Challenger.

Important Dates

What to Expect

WBBL|12 features 40 league matches across Australia before the three-match finals series. The schedule places greater emphasis on home-city fixtures, with more matches in prime-time slots and fewer neutral-venue games than in the previous season.

Hobart Hurricanes will attempt to defend their maiden title, while Perth Scorchers will look to go one step further after finishing runner-up. Melbourne’s two clubs and Sydney’s two franchises also have local derbies scheduled during the competition.

The league standings will be important throughout the season because the top team qualifies directly for the Final. The second-placed team enters the Challenger, while third and fourth place must win the Knockout to stay in the title race.

FAQs

When does the Women’s Big Bash League 2026 start?

WBBL|12 begins on 29 October 2026 with a double-header at Junction Oval in Melbourne.

When is the WBBL 2026 final?

The final is scheduled for 5 December 2026 and will be hosted by the team that finishes first in the league standings.

How many teams are participating in WBBL|12?

Eight teams are participating: Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

How many matches are scheduled in the Women’s Big Bash League 2026?

There are 43 matches in total: 40 league matches and three finals.

Who are the defending champions of WBBL|12?

Hobart Hurricanes are the defending champions after defeating Perth Scorchers by eight wickets in the WBBL|11 final in December 2025.

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