The Bushfire Cricket Bash fund-raising match will not take place at the SCG on Saturday because of the forecast of heavy rain in Sydney, the plan being to ensure that the Big Bash final goes on as scheduled if there is a window to play.
Torrential rain, which the region desperately needs, is forecast for Sydney from Friday right through the weekend with up to 50mm predicted for Saturday, when the double-header was due to take place.
While the forecast suggests there is every chance the BBL final will also be a washout – which would hand the Sydney Sixers the title – Cricket Australia wants to ensure that no damage is done to the SCG in case a match can be played. Five overs per side would constitute a game.
Change of plans! To ensure the SCG is in the best possible condition for the BBL09 Final, we’ve made the call to not go ahead with Saturday’s Bushfire Cricket Bash at the SCG.
We’ll keep you updated tomorrow as we work through different options for the weekend!
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 5, 2020
There has not yet been a decision on what to do with the bushfire relief match, which was to raise funds for the Red Cross appeal, with Cricket Australia saying on Wednesday evening that they would provide further information on Thursday. The two teams were to be led by Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting and were expected to feature a host of former greats including Wasim Akram and Brian Lara.
One option could be to move the game to Melbourne, where the Australia and India women’s team will be playing their T20I tri-series match – it was also going to be part of the triple-header fund-raising effort on Saturday alongside the charity game at the BBL final.
There is no reserve day for the final, something that the Sydney Thunder captain Callum Ferguson said probably needed to be addressed. The Thunder will play the Melbourne Stars on Thursday and whichever team gets through would need the weather in their favour to have any chance of taking the title.
“I absolutely believe there needs to be a reserve day,” Ferguson said. “At the moment it is what it is, and I believe we’ve got the right system barring maybe a reserve day, we need to make sure that we give it every chance of being played.”