All You Need to Know about the Inaugural Women’s T20 Spring Challenge

The highly anticipated T20 Spring Challenge, introduced by Cricket Australia (CA) for the 2024-25 season to make up for fewer Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) games, is only a sleep away. From fixtures and formats to squads and broadcasting details, here’s everything you need to know about the inaugural season of the 20-over Spring Challenge.

Earlier in the year, CA unveiled an ambitious ten-year Women and Girls Action Plan. Part of this plan was a significant adjustment to the WBBL, reducing the number of games from 14 to 10 per team (for a total of 40 games plus the final). To compensate for this reduction, CA announced the Spring Challenge—a state-based T20 competition featuring WBBL teams plus the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Meteors, ensuring no reduction in the overall number of women’s domestic matches.

The domestic season for women in Australia kicked off on September 24, 2024, with the 29th edition of the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), a 50-over competition. The WNCL’s first leg wrapped up on October 6, breaking for the inaugural Spring Challenge, followed by the WBBL.

Format: T20 Spring Challenge

The 20-over Spring Challenge will feature each team playing four matches, culminating in 18 regular-season games across seven days. The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, where the first-placed team will face the fourth, and the second will play the third, with the winners advancing to the final.

Squads: T20 Spring Challenge

Sydney Thunder Women

Tahlia Wilson, Georgia Adams, Jade Allen, Samantha Bates, Ella Briscoe, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Anika Learoyd, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll

Brisbane Heat Women

Georgia Redmayne, Charli Knott, Lily Bassingthwaighte, Lucinda Bourke, Sianna Ginger, Lilli Hamilton, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Laura Harris, Kira Holmes, Ruby Strange, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mikayla Wrigley

Melbourne Renegades Women

Sarah Coyte, Emma de Brough, Tia Davidge, Samara Dulvin, Nicole Faltum, Poppy Gardner, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Bronte Leishman, Georgia Prestwidge, Naomi Stalenberg, Courtney Webb

Hobart Hurricanes Women

Elyse Villani, Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Emma Manix-Geeves, Tabatha Saville, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Callie Wilson, Lizelle Lee

Sydney Sixers Women

Mathilda Carmichael, Caoimhe Bray, Maitlin Brown, Erin Burns, Lauren Cheatle, Lucy Finn, Elsa Hunter, Lauren Kua, Isabella Malgioglio, Frankie Nicklin, Kate Pelle, Kate Peterson, Eva Ragg, Courtney Sippel

Australian Capital Territory Meteors Women –

Carly Leeson, Alisha Bates, Paris Bowdler, Zoe Cooke, Grace Dignam, Holly Ferling, Angelina Genford, Amy Hunter, Grace Lyons, Shivani Mehta, Chelsea Moscript, Gabrielle Sutcliffe, Annie Wikman

Adelaide Strikers Women –

Jemma Barsby, Maggie Clark, Emmerson Filsell, Paris Hall, Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Katie Mack, Anesu Mushangwe, Courtney Neale, Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Perth Scorchers Women –

Chloe Piparo, Chloe Bartholomew, Charis Bekker, Zoe Britcliffe, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Bhavi Devchand, Mikayla Hinkley, Shay Manolini, Rebecca McGrath, Ines McKeon, Lilly Mills, Morgan Pires

Melbourne Stars Women –

Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Maisy Gibson, Hasrat Gill, Olivia Henry, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Indigo Noble, Mia Perrin, Sophie Reid, Zoe Samuel, Holly Spencer

Schedule: T20 Spring Challenge

DATE	MATCH(ES)	TIME (IST)	VENUE
11-Oct-24	Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat	4:30 AM	North Sydney Oval, Sydney
	Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes	5:00 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
	Sydney Sixers v ACT Meteors	9:00 AM	North Sydney Oval, Sydney
	Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers	9:30 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
12-Oct-24	ACT Meteors v Melbourne Stars	9:00 AM	North Sydney Oval, Sydney
	Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers	9:30 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
	Sydney Sixers v Brisbane Heat	1:30 PM	North Sydney Oval, Sydney
	Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes	2:00 PM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
13-Oct-24	Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars	9:00 AM	Allan Border Oval, Sydney
14-Oct-24	ACT Meteors v Brisbane Heat	4:30 AM	Allan Border Oval, Sydney
	Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers	9:30 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
15-Oct-24	Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars	8:30 AM	Hurstville Oval, Sydney
	Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades	9:30 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
16-Oct-24	ACT Meteors v Hobart Hurricanes	4:30 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
	Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat	5:00 AM	Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
	Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers	9:00 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
17-Oct-24	Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers	4:30 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Parkinson
	Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars	9:00 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Spark
19-Oct-24	Semi-Final (1 v 4)	4:30 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
	Semi-Final (2 v 3)	9:00 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
20-Oct-24	Final	9:00 AM	Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park

All games of the Spring Challenge will be streamed live on Kayo, cricket.com.au, and the CA Live app. For fans looking to attend the games at the stadiums, entry has been confirmed as free.