Hobart Hurricanes appear certain to cap off an already impressive season by extending their deal to play two BBL games in Launceston.
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The top-of-the-table Hurricanes locked in a finals spot by demolishing Brisbane Heat in Hobart on Tuesday, and will visit UTAS Stadium for the final time this season on Thursday for a clash with Adelaide Strikers.
Heading into the Hurricanes’ third-last home and away fixture, Cricket Tasmania chief executive Nick Cummins was emphatic on whether Launceston had done enough to keep its quota of two matches.
“Definitely,” he said.
“We’re really pleased with the support from the Launceston public and Launceston City Council.
“We’ll be sitting down with the council hopefully straight after this season and seeing whether we can agree to some sort of formal arrangement that locks in those games for a number of years to come.”
A win on Thursday night would secure home finals and top spot, but a second-straight appearance in the decider is far from a foregone conclusion.
The Hurricanes only have to look as far as last season, when they stunned title favourites Perth Scorchers in a blowout semi-final, to find evidence that the ladder doesn’t decide the winner.
“There’s been a lot of instances in Big Bash history where the team on top has been bundled out so the players won’t be taking anything for granted,” Cummins said.
“I think you just treat the finals like a new season.
“The home and away season gives you the right to play in finals, but it doesn’t give you the right to win them.”
Thursday’s match will be followed by a clash with Melbourne Renegades in Hobart on February 7, and a trip to Canberra to meet Sydney Thunder on February 9.
Should they win at least one of those three games, the Hurricanes will play their finals matches at Bellerive Oval, where they are yet to be beaten this season.
Cummins said he would “never say never” to the possibility of Launceston hosting finals games in the future.