T20 Spring Challenge 2026
Women’s domestic cricket in Australia has its own warm-up act, and it’s back in Sydney this week. The 2026 T20 Spring Challenge gets going on Monday 12 October, with the first ball scheduled for 10:00 AM AEDT. If Cricket Australia’s match center shows 11 October against those opening games, don’t be thrown. It lists fixtures in UTC, so the date sits a day behind local time for many cricket viewers.
T20 Spring Challenge 2026 Overview
Nine teams are in the mix: the eight Women’s Big Bash League clubs plus the ACT Meteors, the only side without a WBBL license. Each team plays four group games, for 18 matches before the knockouts. Two semi-finals follow on 20 October, then the final on 21 October at Cricket Central. That’s 21 matches in total.
Hobart Hurricanes arrive as the team to beat. They won the competition in 2024 and again in 2025, when they thrashed Brisbane Heat by 88 runs in the final, and they also lifted the WBBL|11 trophy. Whether anyone can stop that momentum is the obvious question hanging over the opening week.
It’s worth knowing why the tournament exists. Cricket Australia introduced it for the 2024-25 season after trimming the WBBL regular season from 14 games per club to 10. The idea was simple: women’s domestic players shouldn’t lose game time. Slotted between the 50-over WNCL and the Big Bash, it doubles as a preseason hit-out and a shop window for uncapped players who want a WBBL contract.
Schedule 2026
Below are the complete schedule and fixture details of the T20 Spring Challenge 2026. Time is AEDT (UTC+11).
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
| Mon 12 Oct | Hobart Hurricanes v ACT Meteors | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 10:00 AM |
| Mon 12 Oct | Sydney Sixers v Brisbane Heat | Hurstville Oval | 10:00 AM |
| Mon 12 Oct | Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 2:30 PM |
| Mon 12 Oct | Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars | Hurstville Oval | 2:30 PM |
| Tue 13 Oct | Sydney Sixers v ACT Meteors | Bankstown Oval | 10:00 AM |
| Tue 13 Oct | Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers | Bankstown Oval | 2:30 PM |
| Tue 13 Oct | Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat | Bankstown Oval | 7:00 PM |
| Wed 14 Oct | Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars | Bankstown Oval | 2:30 PM |
| Wed 14 Oct | Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes | Bankstown Oval | 7:00 PM |
| Fri 16 Oct | Brisbane Heat v ACT Meteors | Raby Oval No 1 | 2:30 PM |
| Sat 17 Oct | Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers | Blacktown International Sportspark 1 | 10:00 AM |
| Sat 17 Oct | Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 10:00 AM |
| Sat 17 Oct | ACT Meteors v Melbourne Stars | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 2:30 PM |
| Sat 17 Oct | Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers | Blacktown International Sportspark 1 | 2:30 PM |
| Sun 18 Oct | Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 10:00 AM |
| Sun 18 Oct | Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers | Blacktown International Sports Park 2 | 2:30 PM |
| Sun 18 Oct | Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers | Blacktown International Sportspark 1 | 2:30 PM |
| Sun 18 Oct | Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars | Blacktown International Sportspark 1 | 7:00 PM |
| Tue 20 Oct | Semi-Final 1 (teams to be confirmed) | Cricket Central | 10:00 AM |
| Tue 20 Oct | Semi-Final 2 (teams to be confirmed) | Cricket Central | 2:30 PM |
| Wed 21 Oct | Final (teams to be confirmed) | Cricket Central | 2:00 PM |
Teams and Squads
The nine sides are Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder and the ACT Meteors.
As of 11 October, Cricket Australia hadn’t pulled the official squad lists together in one place. Clubs usually confirm their groups close to the opening day, so check cricket.com.au and each club’s website for the final names before the first game.
Where to Watch T20 Spring Challenge 2026
- Australia: Cricket Australia’s own match pages point to cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports. The CA Live app carried last year’s edition, and one report says it will do the same this time.
- India: FanCode has the tournament listed for live streaming.
FAQs
It’s a women’s tournament, run by Cricket Australia as a preseason T20 competition for the eight WBBL clubs and the ACT Meteors. It runs from 12 to 21 October 2026.
The Hobart Hurricanes beat the Brisbane Heat by 88 runs in the final at Cricket Central. They also won the first edition in 2024, so they’re two-time champions and the defending side in 2026.
There are 21: 18 group games (each team plays four), two semi-finals on 20 October, and the final on 21 October.