Channel 7 Summer of Cricket 2026–27: complete TV schedule – The Women’s Big Bash League begins on Thursday, 29 October, launching a Channel 7 and 7plus season that will run through the men’s Big Bash League, four Australia–New Zealand Tests, the women’s New Zealand ODIs and the 150th Anniversary Test against England in March 2027.
For viewers, the scale of Seven’s free coverage is the story: 23 WBBL matches, including all three finals, and 34 BBL matches, including all four finals, sit alongside every ball of the men’s Test series and the season-ending internationals. Moreover, the centrepiece is a five-day, pink-ball anniversary Test at the MCG, 150 years after Australia and England played the first Test at the same ground.
First, the season starts with a WBBL double-header at Melbourne’s Junction Oval. The Renegades meet the Thunder at 3.30pm AEDT, followed by the Stars against defending champions the Hurricanes at 7pm AEDT. The second match will be the first professional T20 played under lights at the venue. Both are on 7mate and 7plus, with local start times below.
WBBL|12: opening matches and finals
Seven’s 23-match WBBL coverage begins on 29 October and ends with the final on Saturday, 5 December. Ellyse Perry, Phoebe Litchfield and Alana King are among the Australian stars in the competition. The Hurricanes enter as defending champions, while the Scorchers were last season’s finalists.
| Date | Match | AEDT start | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 29 October | Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Thunder, Junction Oval | 3.30pm | 7mate and 7plus |
| Thursday 29 October | Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes, Junction Oval | 7pm | 7mate and 7plus |
| Sunday 1 November | Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat | 3.30pm | 7plus; TV channel varies by market |
| Sunday 1 November | Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes | 7pm | 7plus; TV channel varies by market |
| Tuesday 1 December | The Knockout | 7pm | 7mate and 7plus |
| Thursday 3 December | The Challenger | 7pm | 7mate and 7plus |
| Saturday 5 December | The Final | 7pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
On opening day, the 3.30pm AEDT match starts at 2.30pm in Brisbane, 3pm in Adelaide and 12.30pm in Perth. The 7pm AEDT match starts at 6pm in Brisbane, 6.30pm in Adelaide and 4pm in Perth. Both are on 7mate and 7plus in every listed market.
Then, on Sunday, 1 November, the first game starts at 3.30pm in Sydney and Melbourne, 2.30pm in Brisbane, 3pm in Adelaide and 12.30pm in Perth. Sydney viewers get it on 7flix; the other four listed markets get it on 7two. The second game starts at 7pm in Sydney and Melbourne, 6pm in Brisbane, 6.30pm in Adelaide and 4pm in Perth. It airs on 7mate in Sydney and Melbourne and 7two in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Both matches are also on 7plus.
Channel 7 Head of Cricket Anna Stone described the first night as a showcase for the competition.
What a way to open the summer with a double-header under brand new lights at Junction Oval.
Anna Stone, Channel 7 Head of Cricket
T20 Cairns Gold Clash and cricket shows
Team Cricket will face Team Footy at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on Sunday, 22 November, with coverage from 7pm AEDT on Channel 7 and 7plus. Brian Lara, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Ash Barty are among Team Cricket’s announced players. Dustin Martin, Nick Riewoldt, Dale Thomas, Joel Selwood, Johnathan Thurston and Sam Burgess are among Team Footy’s names. The final teams are still to be announced.
Later, The Front Bar: Cricket Edition airs Wednesday, 2 December at 8.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus. Sir Richard Hadlee joins Mick Molloy, Andy Maher and Andy Lee to reflect on his career and the Australia–New Zealand rivalry.
Immediately afterwards, the new The Agenda Setters: Cricket, hosted by Xander McGuire and Will Pucovski, debuts at 9.30pm. Justin Langer, Aaron Finch and Damien Fleming will contribute to its debate and analysis. Seven has listed further editions for 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28 December, and 5 and 6 January:
| Date | AEDT start | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 2 December | 9.30pm | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Wednesday 9 December | 9pm | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Friday 11 December | 9pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Friday 18 December | 7pm | 7mate and 7plus |
| Sunday 27 December | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Monday 28 December | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Tuesday 5 January | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Wednesday 6 January | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
Australia v New Zealand: four men’s Tests
Australia hosts New Zealand across Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney from 9 December to 8 January. Brendon McCullum returns to Channel 7’s commentary team for the first time since 2019–20 and will also make his Triple M Cricket debut. Former White Ferns wicketkeeper Katey Martin joins him to provide a New Zealand perspective. Ricky Ponting, who was also announced for Triple M, remains part of Seven’s line-up.
McCullum said the contest would have a particular edge for him as a former New Zealand captain.
Australia versus New Zealand always has a bit of an edge to it. I’ve lived this rivalry as a player, so I’m looking forward to sitting on the other side of the fence, having a bit of fun with the Seven team and hopefully giving viewers some insight into what’s unfolding in the middle.
Brendon McCullum, Seven and Triple M commentator
| Test | Dates and venue | Coverage start (AEDT) | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 9–13 December, Perth Stadium | 12pm on day one; 12.30pm on remaining days | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Second | 17–21 December, Adelaide Oval | 10.30am each day | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Third | 26–30 December, MCG | 9.30am each day | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Fourth | 4–8 January, SCG | 9.30am each day | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
BBL|16: Chennai opener, Australian fixtures and finals
Meanwhile, the men’s Big Bash League begins outside Australia for the first time on Saturday, 12 December, when the Melbourne Renegades play the Perth Scorchers at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Channel 7 and 7plus coverage starts at 8pm AEDT, after Test cricket. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin joins Seven’s commentary team at the venue.
In total, Seven and 7plus will screen 34 BBL matches through to the final on Australia Day, including all four finals. The network plans 11 days where a BBL match follows play in the Australia–New Zealand Tests. From the start of the SCG Test on 4 January, Seven has highlighted another 14 live and free Big Bash matches through the remainder of the season.
Key BBL dates and broadcast times
| Date | BBL fixture | AEDT start | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 12 December | Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers, Chennai | 8pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Tuesday 15 December | Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers, Gabba | 7pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Saturday 26 December | Sydney Sixers v Brisbane Heat, SCG | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Saturday 26 December | Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, Perth Stadium | 9.10pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Thursday 31 December | Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval | 7pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Monday 4 January | Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades, MCG | 6pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Monday 4 January | Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat, Perth Stadium | 9.10pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Sunday 17 January | Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers, Ninja Stadium | 1.40pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Sunday 17 January | Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder, Gabba | 7pm | Channel 7, 7mate and 7plus |
| Tuesday 19 January | The Qualifier | To be confirmed | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Wednesday 20 January | The Knockout | To be confirmed | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Saturday 23 January | The Challenger | To be confirmed | Channel 7 and 7plus |
| Tuesday 26 January | The Final | To be confirmed | Channel 7 and 7plus |
Importantly, the schedule above lists the highlighted fixtures and finals announced for Seven’s coverage. The full 34-match broadcast line-up is available through 7plus as the season develops.
Women’s New Zealand ODIs and the 150th Anniversary Test
Australia’s women host New Zealand in three ODIs in the days before the anniversary Test. Cricket Australia’s fixture places the opener at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Saturday, 6 March, followed by two games at Melbourne’s Junction Oval on Monday, 8 March and Wednesday, 10 March. Seven’s listed coverage begins at 2.30pm AEDT for the first two games and 10am AEDT for the third. The opening two matches are day-night fixtures.
| Date | Match and venue | Seven coverage (AEDT) |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 6 March | Australia v New Zealand, Manuka Oval, Canberra | From 2.30pm |
| Monday 8 March | Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval, Melbourne | From 2.30pm |
| Wednesday 10 March | Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval, Melbourne | From 10am |
Finally, Australia meets England at the MCG from Thursday, 11 to Monday, 15 March for the 150th Anniversary Test. It will be the first men’s day-night Test at the ground, played with a pink ball. Seven and 7plus coverage starts at 1pm AEDT on each of the five days; play is scheduled to begin at 2pm. Stuart Broad returns to Seven’s commentary team for the match.
Broad said the milestone gives the fixture a particular place in cricket history.
The 150th Anniversary Test is a unique moment in the history of English and Australian cricket, and there is no better place on Australian soil to celebrate than the MCG.
Stuart Broad, Seven commentator
Seven’s cricket commentary and 7plus coverage
James Brayshaw, Mel McLaughlin and Emma Freedman will lead Seven’s presentation across the season. Alongside Ponting and McCullum, its expert team includes Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Aaron Finch, Greg Blewett, Simon Katich, Trent Copeland, Will Pucovski, Lisa Sthalekar, Callum Ferguson, Damien Fleming, Brad Hodge, Kirby Short and Katey Martin. Alison Mitchell, Alister Nicholson, Tim Lane, Jason Richardson, Kate McCarthy and Jack Heverin are among the play-by-play voices. Simon Taufel contributes umpiring analysis.
Tom Morris, Theo Doropoulos and Xander McGuire will report from the boundary, while Bharat Sundaresan joins Morris for news coverage during the men’s New Zealand Tests. Ravi Ashwin’s role is the Chennai BBL opener; Broad’s is the anniversary Test.
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Beyond live matches, 7plus’s cricket hub will carry highlights, condensed match packages, team pages and full replays of Seven’s WBBL, BBL, men’s New Zealand Test and women’s international broadcasts. The Agenda Setters: Cricket, the returning quiz Stumped and archival matches on the Cricket Gold FAST channel will also be available. Broadcast times and channels may change as the season progresses.
For more TV Central Channel 7 cricket coverage, read our story on Brendon McCullum’s commentary return; for live coverage and replays, visit the public 7plus cricket hub.