BBL Big Bash League Expansion Thread

[The_Reaper]

Now Cricket Australia have stated that there won't be any expansions until at least the end of the tv deal which is still a few years away.

And of course the priority for Cricket Australia should be in my opinion the test side and developing the game to help improve the test side. The Big Bash League is one of the tools they are using to pursue this but a balance needs to be found between expanding the Big Bash League and not being detrimental to the Sheffield Shield season.

Any expansion might just be increasing the number of games played.

Of course there is another glaringly obvious issues with adding extra teams and that is the really shallow talent pool. There are already numerous players in the BBL who aren't up to the required standard. Any new Australian franchise would increase the number of duds getting games. Of course a New Zealand franchise wouldn't have that issue but it's unknown what Cricket New Zealand think about that.

But hypothetically if we were to add teams in Australia there aren't actually too many options.
A third team in Melbourne or Sydney would just be counterproductive and really would achieve nothing for CA. Likewise with a second team in Adelaide, Brisbane or Perth. Hobart obviously could never support two teams.

#   City          Population   State               Stadium            Capacity   Dimensions   Drop In    BBL Team
1.  Sydney         4,840,628   New South Wales     Stadium Australia    82,500   170 x 128    Yes
                                                   The SCG              48,000   155 x 136    No         Sydney Sixers
                                                   Sydney Showgrounds   22,000   160 x 134    Yes        Sydney Thunder
2.  Melbourne      4,440,328   Victoria            The MCG             100,024   171 x 146    Yes        Melbourne Stars
                                                   Docklands Stadium    56,347   170 x 140    Yes        Melb Renegades
3.  Brisbane       2,274,460   Queensland          The Gabba            42,000   171 x 150    No         Brisbane Heat
4.  Perth          2,021,203   Western Australia   Perth Stadium*       60,000   165 x 130    Yes        Perth Scorchers
                                                   The WACA             20,000   149 x 139    No         Perth Scorchers
5.  Adelaide       1,304,631   South Australia     Adelaide Oval        54,583   167 x 124    Yes        Adelaide Strikers
6.  Gold Coast       614,379   Queensland          Carrara Stadium      25,000   161 x 134    Yes      
7.  Newcastle        430,755   New South Wales     No 1 Sports Ground   20,000  
8.  Canberra         422,510   ACT                 Manuka Oval          13,550   168 x 138    No
9.  Sunshine Coast   297,380   Queensland
10. Wollongong       289,236   New South Wales
11. Hobart           219,200   Tasmania            Bellerive Oval       20,000   175 x 135    No         Hobart Hurricanes
12. Geelong          184,182   Victoria            Kardinia Park        34,074   170 x 115    Yes
13. Townsville       178,649   Queensland          Tony Ireland Stadium 10,000
14. Cairns           146,778   Queensland          Cazaly's Stadium     13,500   165 x 135
15. Darwin           140,400   Northern Territory  Marrara Oval         14,000
16. Toowoomba        113,625   Queensland
17. Ballarat          98,543   Victoria            Eureka Stadium*      15,000   170 x 140    Yes
18. Bendigo           91,692   Victoria
19. Albury-Wodonga    87,890   New South Wales/Vic
20. Launceston        86,393   Tasmania            York Park            21,000   175 x 145    Yes
                                                   *Not yet built

I've made a small list here of the 20 largest cities in Australia and their main stadium.

Unfortunately Townsville, Cairns and Darwin are not in contention due to weather during the Big Bash season.
We can safely say that Toowoomba and below don't have the population to support a BBL side.

So that leaves

Gold Coast - Decent population and a suitable stadium with lights. However the Gold Coast has a poor record for supporting sports teams and the Brisbane Heat are really shit.

Newcastle - Decent population and should be able to support a BBL team. While No 1 Sports Ground is a First Class stadium which can host shield matches it would require significant upgrades to be able to host BBL matches.

Canberra - The standout contender with no real issues. The ground's capacity is a bit on the small side though.

Sunshine Coast - No suitable stadium. Small population though it is larger than Hobart.

Wollongong - No suitable stadium. Small population though is larger than Hobart.

and finally

Geelong - Large capacity stadium which has lights. However it's only 115 wide so will have two extremely short boundaries. Also Geelong has a pretty low population and is quite close to Melbourne.

And of course the New Zealand candidates - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch etc

 

[Van_Dyke]

I think the competition is spread enough as it is, only thing they could do to supplement it would be to add an extra international spot and enforce that one international has to be a batsman and another a bowler etc. If they look to expand, I'd go Gold Coast and Canberra.

GC- Decent stadium, tourist location, no competition in any form.
Canberra- People, stadium, no major negatives.

 

[The_Reaper]

Poll cut out three quarters of the options I added?

I blame you Carbine Chaos

 

[Van_Dyke]

Poll cut out three quarters of the options I added?

I blame you Carbine Chaos

Who else could we blame but him?

 

[JC Hawks]

I'd rather not see any expansion in the BBL. I'd prefer to see if anything one of the Melbourne or Sydney teams to relocate to Canberra though as they have a suitable stadium and fan base to support it.

However if they do expand the only place would be Canberra or Gold Coast but can't see it happening. An extra team in Adelaide would divide the support of SA which is rather detrimental as they seem to really be on board with the current Strikers set up, and is showing with the record crowds they experience. The new Perth Stadium will allow 40k+(?) to attend games and Perth don't have the population for two teams in my opinion.

If they were to expand the teams they would also need to increase the international player cap, which I don't support as the Big Bash should be a national competition with a couple of players to draw the crowds. In increasing the internationals per team it doesn't allow local players to show what they can do and have a gradual transition to more professional cricket.

I'm not opposed to having a couple of New Zealand teams in the competition. It would enable the teams to remain at 2 international players and increase the quality of the Big Bash as I'd assume they would pick the best players only. However, I can't see New Zealand agreeing to do this as it would be seriously detrimental to their own T/20 competition. It dilutes the talent pool as their best players will be playing BBL rather than NZ T/20. One way they could combat this would be to allow them to play both, but I'm unsure of the availabilities of players.

 

[Van_Dyke]

I'd rather not see any expansion in the BBL. I'd prefer to see if anything one of the Melbourne or Sydney teams to relocate to Canberra though as they have a suitable stadium and fan base to support it.

However if they do expand the only place would be Canberra or Gold Coast but can't see it happening. An extra team in Adelaide would divide the support of SA which is rather detrimental as they seem to really be on board with the current Strikers set up, and is showing with the record crowds they experience. The new Perth Stadium will allow 40k+(?) to attend games and Perth don't have the population for two teams in my opinion.

If they were to expand the teams they would also need to increase the international player cap, which I don't support as the Big Bash should be a national competition with a couple of players to draw the crowds. In increasing the internationals per team it doesn't allow local players to show what they can do and have a gradual transition to more professional cricket.

I'm not opposed to having a couple of New Zealand teams in the competition. It would enable the teams to remain at 2 international players and increase the quality of the Big Bash as I'd assume they would pick the best players only. However, I can't see New Zealand agreeing to do this as it would be seriously detrimental to their own T/20 competition. It dilutes the talent pool as their best players will be playing BBL rather than NZ T/20. One way they could combat this would be to allow them to play both, but I'm unsure of the availabilities of players.

New stadium is 60k. IMO we'll get maybe 30-40k

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Poll cut out three quarters of the options I added?

I blame you Carbine Chaos

I have no authority here mate!

 

[ep2018]

Two NZ teams or one NZ and a Canberra team imo

Not for a decade at least tho.

 

[Van_Dyke]

I have no authority here mate!

The_Reaper is an Eagles fan, you lot rarely use logic.

 

[madmug]

CA wont get too carried away with things at the moment. However I think they would be pretty bloody exited at board level to see the competition grow & start to mature so well, into a legitimate & sustainable competition with a new group of supporters.

Given the level of interest it makes sense they would be looking at plans to expand. I doubt they'd move until the end of the current TV rights.

Perhaps the first thing would be a move to a full home & away fixture.

New teams are problematic. And yes I do think they will proceed with care. Thanks to the Reaper for his table above, I think expansion is limited to who has the facilities to cater for games. Canberra, Geelong & the GC have AFL standard stadiums. I dont see any NZ teams for a long time, if ever.

I did see this causing concerns for the A League. I didnt think it was being jingoistic or xenophobic to make comment on this, but it was mentioned on sports radio this morning. AL moved from a winter competition to get some breathing space. All of a sudden the air is clouded again!

Anyhoo its an exiting time for T20. It reminds me of the Packer cricket revolution. That reinvented cricket in the 1970's. Maybe T20 is the next stage in the evolution of the game.

 

[Martyn_30_]

A New Zealand team is the best option to keep the standard up, but given the crowds they draw to their comp are literally in the 100's I don't know whether it would have the support needed. Canberra and the Gold Coast make the most sense in Australia given the grounds and the fact it's not another NSW or Vic team.

With any expansion increasing the international spots to 3 or 4 will solve the depth issue.


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[Smokin]

Maybe T20 is the next stage in the evolution of the game.

Gee, you think?

 

[JackOutback]

Expansion of the games should come first, followed by expansion of the teams if the support remains high. Though 10 should be the maximum, with Canberra and either Newcastle or the Gong. Geelong is just too close to Melbourne for a cricket team to have any sort of identity, imo. Perth and Adelaide would be better suited getting everyone behind the existing teams.

 

[Martyn_30_]

Expansion of the games should come first, followed by expansion of the teams if the support remains high. Though 10 should be the maximum, with Canberra and either Newcastle or the Gong. Geelong is just too close to Melbourne for a cricket team to have any sort of identity, imo. Perth and Adelaide would be better suited getting everyone behind the existing teams.

How's Wollongong any different to Geelong? I don't think there should be a team in Geelong but it's definitely different to Melbourne.


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[JackOutback]

How's Wollongong any different to Geelong? I don't think there should be a team in Geelong but it's definitely different to Melbourne.


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My mistake, I though Wollongong was a little further than it is. I'm not from Sydney. Seems like Newcastle would be the better option.

Not saying Geelong isn't different to Melbourne, but given that it's pretty close, has a train connection, and people travel to Melbourne for football matches, I'm not sure it's distinct enough for a separate cricket team. Football clubs tend to be more regional than cricket teams, cricket tends to draw from a wider surroundings, so I don't think Geelong needs its own team. I wouldn't advocate for a team from Mandurah either, which is a similar distance from Perth; Mandurah people would simply travel to watch the Scorchers.

 

[Zarrix]

Geelong and Canberra would be favourites if only because they have stadiums fit for purpose already. GC expansion isnt the smartest idea as an expansion team given evidence from other sports.

 

[eth-dog]

Would be happy with any of Geelong, Canberra, Townsville/Cairns, Gold Coast, Newcastle.

 

[cricketnut14]

what about keeping the current 8 teams:

• a more even fixture
• expand the comp with 14 home and away games (7 home/7 away) instead of the current 8 (4 home/4 away) [the WBBL already has].
• take the game to other regions by each team playing a home game(s) there (eg. stars/renegades take a game to geelong, heat take a game further north, hurricanes to take a game to launceston, thunder/sixers take a game to canberra or rural NSW etc.
• more double headers like the other day, keeping the comp compact

 

[eth-dog]

what about keeping the current 8 teams:

• a more even fixture
• expand the comp with 14 home and away games (7 home/7 away) instead of the current 8 (4 home/4 away) [the WBBL already has].
• take the game to other regions by each team playing a home game(s) there (eg. stars/renegades take a game to geelong, heat take a game further north, hurricanes to take a game to launceston, thunder/sixers take a game to canberra or rural NSW etc.
• more double headers like the other day, keeping the comp compact

Because a 14 game fixture basically wipes out too much of the shield season.

 

[krisholio14]

It's been a suggestion of mine for quite some time that NZ teams should join the Big Bash. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin - two from the North, two from the South.

 

[cricketnut14]

Because a 14 game fixture basically wipes out too much of the shield season.

but so would expansion teams if you are wanting Geelong, Canberra etc to join.

 

[eth-dog]

but so would expansion teams if you are wanting Geelong, Canberra etc to join.

Not really. Extends it by 1 more game each.

 

[Smokin]

Because a 14 game fixture basically wipes out too much of the shield season.

I wonder how long it can go until stuff like this becomes irrelevant? T20 has thrived in spite of traditionalists, not with them.

At some point, you have to let it go - like a bird, let it fly and see where it goes.

 

[eth-dog]

I wonder how long it can go until stuff like this becomes irrelevant? T20 has thrived in spite of traditionalists, not with them.

At some point, you have to let it go - like a bird, let it fly and see where it goes.

It will never become irrelevant. Every player in Australia says that Test and First Class cricket is the priority, and as such the 10 match shield season will always happen.

 

[Admiral Byng]

No New Zealand teams, ever. It is a domestic competition and should remain so.