The Hobart Hurricanes have officially locked in top spot and will host the Weber WBBL|11 final.
The race for the remaining finals berths will go down to the wire this weekend, with five teams batting it out for three spots with three regular season matches remaining.
After 37 matches in WBBL|11, the Hurricanes cannot be overtaken at the top of the table, with their position confirmed following Sydney Sixers’ defeat to the Melbourne Renegades on Friday.
The Stars are second on 11 points despite two losses in a row, while Sixers are third and are trailing the Stars only on the net run rate after beating them on Wednesday.
The Renegades jumped into fourth on 10 points after winning their final game of the season, but face a nervous wait with the Scorchers and Strikers yet to play.
At the other end of the table, Brisbane Heat are out of the race and will miss the finals for the first time since WBBL|03, while the Thunder’s season is also over.
The top four advance to the finals in WBBL|11, with the top-ranked team at the end of the 40-game regular season directly progressing to, and hosting, the final on Saturday, December 13.
The team that finishes third will host the fourth-ranked side in the Knockout on Tuesday, December 9, with the winner of that game to then play the second-ranked team in the Challenger on Thursday, December 11, for a spot in the final.
Here’s how the eight teams are placed for the run home.
1st: Hobart Hurricanes (15 points)
Played 10| Won 7 | Lost 2 | NR 1 | NRR 0.662
The run home
The Hurricanes have secured top spot and will host the final on December 13, regardless of what happens with the other sides on the weekend.
The only concern for the Cane train could be momentum, with a stacked front end of WBBL|11 and their final match against the Strikers getting abandoned after the first innings meaning they don’t have much game time behind them leading into the decider.
2nd: Melbourne Stars (11 points)
Played 9 | Won 5 | Lost 3 | NR 1 | NRR 0.863
The run home
Dec 6 v Thunder (CitiPower Centre)
The Stars look a vastly improved outfit on the side that finished on the bottom of the table last season, but they have their back-to-back losses to the ‘Canes and the Sixers to ponder as they look to regain momentum ahead of the finals.
A win in their last game will cement a top-three spot.
To finish second, they’ll need to defeat the Thunder. The Sixers could still match them on 13 points if they win their final game, but there’s a massive difference in NRR between the sides, so the Stars should be safe in second.
If they go down to the Thunder, they’ll need the Sixers to lose in order to stay in second and could miss out on hosting a final all together.
3rd: Sydney Sixers (11 points)
Played 9 | Won 5 | Lost 3 | NR 1 | NRR -0.365
The run home
Dec 7 v Strikers (North Sydney Oval)
The Sixers missed out on a chance to lock in their finals berth with their defeat to the Renegades.
They can still finish second if the Stars lose to the Thunder, and if they beat the Strikers. If the Stars win, the Sixers’ poor NRR means they will likely finish third with a win over Adelaide.
With the Strikers’ game against the Hurricanes on Friday night ending in a no result, their match on Sunday will be a virtual quarter-final.
4th: Melbourne Renegades (10 points)
Played 10 | Won 5 | Lost 5 | NR 0 | NRR 0.121
The defending champions are hanging on by a thread after defeating the Sydney Sixers in their final game of the season.
That was enough to lift them into fourth, but they’re relying on the Strikers and Scorchers to lose their remaining matches to stay there.
5th: Perth Scorchers (10 points)
Played 9 | Won 5 | Lost 4 | NR 0 | NRR -0.189
The run home
Dec 6 v Heat (WACA Ground)
A team on the rise after Tuesday night’s result.
The Scorchers dropped out of the four following the Renegades’ win over the Sixers on Friday, but they can lock in a finals berth with a win over the Heat on Saturday night, and could even finish as high as second.
6th: Adelaide Strikers (9 points)
Played 9 | Won 3 | Lost 3 | NR 3| NRR 0.097
The run home
Dec 7 v Sixers (North Sydney Oval)
With their season on the line, Tahlia McGrath and Ellie Johnston stood up against the winless Heat, each finding the boundary in the final over to secure a thrilling six-wicket win with two balls to spare.
A few narrow defeats and three washouts mean the Strikers have a positive NRR, which will help them if they end up level on points with the Scorchers and/or the Sixers.
There are plenty of permutations that can play out, and the Strikers are still hanging in there after sharing points with the Hurricanes on Friday, but they must win their final game to be a chance for the final four.
Making life tougher will be the early departure of Laura Wolvaardt, who has played her last game and will return to South Africa ahead of the Proteas’ series against Ireland. The Strikers have opted against drafting in an overseas player to replace her.
7th: Sydney Thunder (7 points)
Played 9 | Won 3 | Lost 5 | NR 1 | NRR -0.296
The run home
Dec 6 v Stars (CitiPower Centre)
In a bottom-of-the-table battle, Thunder got the result over the Heat on Wednesday, but it was only a consolation win.
Sunday’s final-over Sydney Smash loss to the Sixers had all-but ended the Thunder’s hopes of playing finals, and after the Scorchers defeated the Renegades at the WACA Ground on Tuesday, it was officially season over.
A heartbreaking end to their game against the Strikers, where they were three runs away from a win before play was called off due to rain, could prove to be painfully decisive.
8th: Brisbane Heat (1 points)
Played 9 | Won 0 | Lost 8 | NR 1 | NRR -0.944
The run home
Dec 6 v Scorchers (WACA Ground)
The Heat have featured in the last seven finals series and have not missed out on the top four since WBBL|03. Unfortunately, that golden run will come to an end, with the side knocked out of the race after their must win game against the Sixers was washed out.
Weber WBBL|11 finals structure
The Knockout
Team 3 v Team 4, Tuesday, December 9, 7.10pm AEDT
The Knockout is hosted by the team that finishes third, with the winner to advance to The Challenger.
The Challenger
Team 2 v the winner of The Knockout, Thursday, December 11, 7.10pm AEDT
The Challenger is hosted by the team that finishes second, with the winner to advance to The Final.
The Final
Hobart Hurricanes v the winner of the Challenger, Sunday, December 13
The Final is hosted by the team that finishes first, and the winner will be crowned WBBL|11 champions!
WBBL|11 finals venues
Adelaide Strikers: Karen Rolton Oval
Hobart Hurricanes: Ninja Stadium
Melbourne Stars: MCG
Perth Scorchers: WACA Ground
Sydney Sixers: North Sydney Oval
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
HUR
10
7
2
0
1
0.662
0
15
2
STA
9
5
3
0
1
0.863
0
11
3
SIX
9
5
3
0
1
-0.365
0
11
4
REN
10
5
5
0
0
0.121
0
10
5
SCO
9
5
4
0
0
-0.189
0
10
6
STR
9
3
3
0
3
0.097
0
9
7
THU
9
3
5
0
1
-0.296
0
7
8
HEA
9
0
8
0
1
-0.944
0
1
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
