Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson has hailed Canberra as the spine of this year's competition, ahead of this weekend's finals double header in the capital.
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Manuka Oval will host its 11th and 12th BBL matches of the summer, starting with the first-versus-second blockbuster on Saturday between the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers with a place in the final on the line.
The Thunder will then host either Brisbane or Adelaide on Sunday, marking the western Sydney team's seventh fixture at the venue this season.
Almost a quarter of all Big Bash matches have been played in Canberra this season, after border restrictions closed Sydney off from the league and wreaked havoc with the original draw.
Dobson said Canberra had played a huge role in facilitating this year's tournament.
"Canberra's been the backbone of the BBL this year," Dobson said.
"Not just because of its accessibility in and out and your ability to come into Canberra then go onto other states which creates such a perfect contingency plan, but probably more importantly for us, the quality of the venue, the quality of the cricket that Manuka Oval produces, the co-operation of all the local authorities, government and health, and everyone involved in cricket in the ACT. It's been a phenomenal collaborative achievement.
"It's fair to say without that, the BBL probably would've struggled to get through those 56 games."
League officials are hopeful of a crowd increase for the two fixtures this weekend at Manuka Oval, which has been capped at 65 per cent or roughly 6000 people.
Tickets for both matches went on sale on Wednesday, and the hill is already sold out for both fixtures.
An update on crowd size is likely to be provided by ACT Health on Thursday.
"We're in discussions with the venue and the relevant authorities around scope to increase that," Dobson said.
"[It's] unlikely to get to 100 per cent. We'd love to get as many fans in as possible, albeit we're really conscious of how successful the ACT has been at keeping everyone safe.
"We'll certainly work within the guidelines that are provided. The more people we can get in the better and hopefully we can sell out whatever we've got before the games take place."
MORE CANBERRA CRICKET
The Thunder flew into Canberra on Wednesday evening while the Sixers are scheduled to land in town on Thursday afternoon.
Both sides have spent stretches in the capital this season - the Sixers played two matches here earlier this month while the Thunder have spent about five weeks in Canberra across two separate stints.
"Completing 56 games in any season is a big achievement but in the current environment I think it's an incredible achievement for the league and the clubs and the players," Dobson said.
"It's a significant achievement, one we're really proud of across the league. It sets us up for a pretty amazing finals series.
"This is probably one of the most successful BBL seasons. The best five teams made the finals, it's a real credit to the Sydney Sixers to finish on top particularly in the context of not having played a game at home this season and to also have their captain out of the side for most of the season."
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
