Australia’s Big Bash has given limited-overs cricket some innovations that have now become commonplace. Zing bails – bails that light up when contact with the stumps is lost – helmet cams and player microphones were all introduced in the country’s T20 domestic tournament. The latter have certainly helped to give the public, TV viewers in particular, a more intense experience and teams this year will dispense with the traditional coin toss – I give you the bat flip!
The 2018/19 T20 Big Bash gets underway in the week before Christmas.
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Final Result | Final Venue |
| 2011-12 | Sydney Sixers | Perth Scorchers | Sydney Sixers won by 7 wickets | WACA Ground |
| 2012-13 | Brisbane Heat | Perth Scorchers | Brisbane Heat won by 34 runs | WACA Ground |
| 2013-14 | Perth Scorchers | Hobart Hurricanes | Perth Scorchers won by 39 runs | WACA Ground |
| 2014-15 | Perth Scorchers | Sydney Sixers | Perth Scorchers won by 4 wickets | Manuka Oval |
| 2015-16 | Sydney Thunder | Melbourne Stars | Sydney Thunder won by 3 wickets | MCG |
| 2016-17 | Perth Scorchers | Sydney Sixers | Perth Scorchers won by 9 wickets | WACA Ground |
| 2017-18 | Adelaide Strikers | Hobart Hurricanes | Adelaide Strikers won by 25 runs | Adelaide Oval |
PERTH SCORCHERS (9/2 with Boylesports) are so far the only team to have won the Big Bash more than once. They’ve also been beaten finalists on two occasions with their last appearance in the final coming at the beginning of 2017.
Among the eight teams taking part, Perth probably rely more than home-grown talent than any other. Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Shaun Marsh and Nathan Coulter-Nile are among this year’s squad but they can also call upon Pakistan leg-spinner Usman Qadir and England all-round David Willey.
ADELAIDE STRIKERS (a general 5/1) are the defending Big Bash champions, having beaten the HOBART HURRICANES (15/2 with Unibet to go one better this year) in the 2018 final. Rising star Jake Weatherald showed he was the man for the big occasion in last year’s final as he scored 115 off 70 balls as the Strikers posted their biggest ever Big Bash total. They won all but three of their group stage games last year but will need their front-line batsmen to perform to similar levels again this season to defend their crown and they could lose players to Australia’s national side. They have also moved home from the WACA to the Optus Stadium.
BRISBANE HEAT are only a best 11/2 but their squad is rather short of star names compared to some of the others, though an opening partnership of Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum will be dangerous. The worry for MELBOURNE STARS (a general 13/2) would be a lack of young talent to compliment the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Liam Plunkett and Dwayne Bravo.
Jos Buttler and Joe Root are scheduled to play most of the tournament play for the SYDNEY THUNDER (10/1 with BetVictor) before reporting for Test duty in the Caribbean. David Willey, Joe Denly and Tymal Mills will stay until the bitter end for their respective sides but West Indian-born England hopeful Joffra Archer faces a dilemma. He risks an earlier-than-expected call-up if he stays with Hobart until January.
SYDNEY SIXERS (a general 8/1), the first-ever winners of the Big Bash and losing finalists twice since, will be looking to stage a revival but may not have the strength-in-depth to make it to another final and there are also concerns about the overall strength of MELBOURNE RENEGADES (a best 7/1), though this does look one of the most open Big Bash tournaments for a few years. Perth, however, look to have the strongest credentials.
