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| KFC Twenty20 Big Bash | |
|---|---|
| Name | KFC Twenty20 Big Bash |
| Country | Australia |
| Administrator | Cricket Australia |
| Cricket format | Twenty20 |
| First | 2005–06 |
| Last | 2010–11 |
| Participants | 8 (state teams) |
| Champions | Victorian Bushrangers (2008–09) |
KFC Twenty20 Big Bash was a professional Twenty20 cricket competition organised by Cricket Australia that ran from 2005–06 to 2010–11 featuring state-based teams from across Australia. The competition attracted players from domestic squads including the New South Wales Blues, Queensland Bulls, Victorian Bushrangers, South Australian Redbacks, Tasmania Tigers, Western Warriors, ACT Comets (guest teams occasionally) and Cricket Victoria affiliates, and showcased talent who also represented Australia national cricket team, England cricket team, India national cricket team, West Indies cricket team and other international sides in tournaments like the ICC World Twenty20. The series coincided with international fixtures such as tours by Sri Lanka national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, and exhibition matches involving franchises from the Indian Premier League and Big Bash League era.
The tournament was inaugurated after the success of domestic Twenty20 fixtures in England's Twenty20 Cup and the Indian Premier League concept, with early influence from administrators at Cricket Australia and officials such as John Harmer and James Sutherland. The first season (2005–06) built on inter-state rivalries rooted in the Sheffield Shield and the Australian Domestic One-Day Cup, while attracting international stars like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist and overseas imports including Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Dwayne Bravo. Throughout its run the competition adapted scheduling around tours by England national cricket team (The Ashes), South Africa national cricket team, and the ICC Champions Trophy, before being replaced by the city-based Big Bash League reform led by figures from Australian Cricket Board reform initiatives and state associations in 2011.
Matches followed the Twenty20 regulations recognised by the International Cricket Council for overs, fielding restrictions and powerplays, including standard playing conditions similar to fixtures in the Caribbean Premier League and Korean Cricket League experiments. Each match featured 20 overs per side, use of a white ball, coloured clothing, and a match referee drawn from panels including former players such as Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel. The competition employed group stage round-robin formats with knockout finals mirroring approaches used in the NatWest T20 Blast and later refined by the Big Bash League to include semi-finals and a final hosted at major grounds like the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground, Adelaide Oval and The Gabba.
State teams represented traditional centers: New South Wales Blues at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Manuka Oval for matches in the Australian Capital Territory; Victoria Bushrangers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium; Queensland Bulls at The Gabba; South Australia Redbacks at Adelaide Oval; Western Australia Warriors at WACA Ground; and Tasmania Tigers at Bellerive Oval and Blundstone Arena. Touring sides and invitational teams occasionally included squads from Cricket Fiji and development teams associated with the International Cricket Council’s associate members, while marquee fixtures attracted crowds alongside events such as matches featuring Prime Minister's XI selections and charity matches headlined by retirees like Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey.
Season-by-season outcomes highlighted dominant state campaigns and standout finals: early finals featured sides like the New South Wales Blues and Victorian Bushrangers, with memorable finals played at SCG and MCG involving performances from players such as Brad Hodge, Cameron White, David Warner and Shaun Tait. The 2008–09 season saw compelling contests influenced by internationals returning from tours of India and South Africa, while later seasons foreshadowed the shift to franchise cricket, with final winners feeding into selection debates for Australia national cricket team T20 squads ahead of ICC World Twenty20 tournaments.
Individual and team records included leading run-scorers and wicket-takers who also featured in competitions like the England ODI series and Indian Premier League. Top batsmen included long-serving state captains and openers with ties to the Sheffield Shield and Ryobi One-Day Cup statistics; leading bowlers later moved into coaching roles with institutions such as Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria. Fielding records and highest team totals at venues such as WACA Ground and Bellerive Oval were noted alongside emerging talents who progressed to represent Australia A and franchise sides in the Caribbean Premier League.
The series secured television rights held by broadcasters including Nine Network and later partnerships with subscription services analogous to deals covering the Big Bash League, with live coverage featuring commentators from Fox Sports and radio commentary on networks like ABC Grandstand and Triple M. Sponsorship by KFC was prominent, reflecting commercial models also used by tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League; match-day sponsorship, hospitality packages and corporate partnerships involved entities connected to state associations and venues such as Melbourne Cricket Club.
The competition served as a developmental bridge between traditional domestic formats like the Sheffield Shield and the professionalised franchise era epitomised by the Big Bash League, impacting player pathways through state systems and influencing selection for the Australia national cricket team in limited-overs formats. Administrators and commentators from institutions including Cricket Australia and state associations cite the tournament's role in popularising Twenty20 among school-level programs tied to bodies like Australian Schools Cricket Association and community clubs affiliated with Club Cricket NSW, while alumni have gone on to coaching and commentary roles with the International Cricket Council and media organisations, shaping modern limited-overs strategy and commercialisation across the sport.
Category:Cricket competitions in Australia Category:Twenty20 cricket leagues