With just six matches of the BBL06 season remaining, all eight teams can still make the finals as this season looks set to be one of the tightest the league has ever seen.
The Stars, Heat, Scorchers and Sixers currently occupy the top four spots in the league table as shown below, but with the two bottom sides facing off on Monday night, one of the Renegades or Strikers will jump right into the mix with a win.
Played | Won | Lost | Points | Net Run Rate | |
Melbourne Stars | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0.786 |
Brisbane Heat | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 0.557 |
Perth Scorchers | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.331 |
Sydney Sixers | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 | -1.062 |
Sydney Thunder | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -0.097 |
Hobart Hurricanes | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -0.179 |
Melbourne Renegades | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -0.003 |
Adelaide Strikers | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -0.157 |
As the ladder stands, here are all of the outcomes that each side needs to be able to play in the BBL06 finals series.
Melbourne Stars - Melbourne faces the Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers in their final two games, and they'll only need one win to assure a place in the finals. Win both and a home semi-final awaits.
Brisbane Heat - Like the Stars, the Heat have two games left in the competition and should be save with just one win from those two, as they face the Stars on Tuesday night before hosting the Renegades on Friday.
Perth Scorchers - Perth need to travel to Hobart for their final game of the season, and due to their superior run rate, even a close loss against the Hurricanes could see them finish inside the top four.
Sydney Sixers - The Sixers' league-worst Net Run Rate means they must beat the Melbourne Stars on Saturday night, otherwise a win from any side on six points will see them leapfrog Sydney into the final top four spot.
Sydney Thunder - A win against Adelaide on Wednesday will move the Thunder up to eight points, and they'll need their Sydney rivals to lose to Melbourne in order to take their place in the finals positions. They also need the Renegades to lose one of their remaining two matches.
Hobart Hurricanes - The Hurricanes must beat Perth on Saturday night, and hope that the Thunder and Sixers loss their final games in order to find themselves finishing fourth. As well as all that Hobart will be hoping whoever wins in the Renegades v Strikers match on Monday night loses their final game of the season.
Melbourne Renegades - Despite being in seventh, two wins from their final two games looks likely to push them into the top four. They just need the Sixers to loss to the Stars on the final day in terms of other results, and if so then the Renegades will likely face the Stars in a semi-final at the MCG.
Adelaide Strikers - Just like the Renegades, the loser of their clash on Monday night will have their season ended. If Adelaide can win the match they'll likely move into fifth/sixth with one game to play. Regardless of their place after seven rounds if they win against Melbourne, they must beat the Sydney Thunder and see the Sydney Sixers lose to the Stars to achieve another finals berth.