Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers, Saturday, 16 January 2027 — 10:30 AM IST (10:00 AM PKT, 05:00 UTC, 3:30 PM ACDT local), Adelaide Oval
Match 37 of the BBL season is Adelaide Strikers against Perth Scorchers on Saturday, 16 January 2027, at Adelaide Oval. The first ball is at 10:30 AM IST (10:00 AM PKT, 05:00 UTC, 3:30 PM ACDT local time) — an early start for viewers in India and Pakistan — and it is the fifth match of the season at Adelaide Oval.
A Saturday afternoon in Adelaide, and the home side get the champions. The Strikers have one title, from 2017-18, and this season they have the biggest signing of the BBL in Ben Stokes, who joined after the league scrapped its overseas draft for an open market. Perth, six-time champions and holders, will not be intimidated by a crowd or a name — they have won at Adelaide Oval before, and they know what January cricket in South Australia demands.
How both sides arrive in BBL|16
No BBL|16 form exists yet — the first ball of the season is bowled on Saturday 12 December 2026. The Strikers and the Scorchers arrive with the squads set out below.
| Team | Captain | Coach | BBL titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Strikers | Matt Short | Tim Paine | 2017-18 |
| Perth Scorchers | TBC (Ashton Turner captained the BBL|15 title win) | Adam Voges | 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2025-26 |
Adelaide’s story this season starts with Ben Stokes, signed after the BBL scrapped its overseas draft for an open market. Matt Short captains the side and Tim Paine coaches it, and the Strikers’ one title, from 2017-18, feels a long way back. Stokes changes the arithmetic of any match he plays in, and Adelaide will be counting on him to lift a side that has spent recent seasons on the edge of the finals.
Perth are the defending champions with six titles, and Ashton Turner captained the BBL|15 title win — the BBL|16 captaincy is still to be confirmed. Adam Voges coaches the side, and Zak Crawley is a new overseas name. The Scorchers do not rebuild; they reload. Whoever wears the armband, the expectation is the same: win, and win in the big moments.
Two points, and the finals race
Two points for a win, one each for a no-result. Ten league matches each decide which four sides reach the finals.
This is the first match of the final Saturday of the league stage, and by the time it starts the finals picture will be almost clear. A Strikers win at home could be the result that takes them into the top four; a Scorchers win would keep the champions on course for the Qualifier.
For Adelaide, the stakes are about the season’s defining signing delivering when it matters. Stokes was signed for afternoons like this one, against the champions, with the finals on the line. For Perth, the stakes are about doing what champions do: win away from home, in the last week, when every other team is watching the table.
The players who can decide it
Four players to keep an eye on, with a profile behind every name.
Matt Short captains the Strikers and is an all-rounder who sets the tone at the top of the order. His job against the champions is to give Adelaide a start that lets the middle order — Stokes included — play with freedom, and then to bowl the overs that break partnerships.
Ben Stokes is the signing of the BBL season, joining Adelaide after the overseas draft was scrapped for an open market. As an all-rounder he changes games with bat and ball, and this is exactly the fixture he was signed for: the champions, at home, with the finals in sight.
Cooper Connolly is the young Scorchers all-rounder who has grown into a player Perth build innings around. Against a Strikers side that will come hard at the champions, his calm in the middle order — and his overs when Adelaide bat — could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Jhye Richardson leads the Scorchers’ pace attack as a bowler, and Adelaide Oval rewards fast bowlers who hit the pitch hard. His new-ball spell against Short and Stokes will be the first contest of the match, and the one that decides how the rest of the afternoon plays out.
Match information
| Ground | Adelaide Oval |
| Series | Big Bash League |
| Season | 2026-27, BBL|16 |
| Match Days | Saturday, 16 January 2027 |
| Start | 10:30 AM IST (10:00 AM PKT, 05:00 UTC, 3:30 PM ACDT local) |
| Points | Winner 2, loser 0 |
Match yet to begin — the scorecard will appear on this page after the match. Adelaide Oval hosts five matches this season.
Frequently asked questions
When does Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers start?
Match 37 is played on Saturday, 16 January 2027 at Adelaide Oval. The first ball is at 10:30 AM IST, which is 10:00 AM PKT, 05:00 UTC and 3:30 PM ACDT local time. It is an early start for viewers in India and Pakistan, and the fifth match of the season at Adelaide Oval.
Why is Ben Stokes playing for Adelaide?
Ben Stokes signed for the Strikers after the BBL scrapped its overseas draft for an open market. Matt Short captains Adelaide and Tim Paine coaches the side. Stokes is the biggest signing of BBL|16, and this match against the defending champions is the fixture his signing was made for.
Who captains each side in Match 37?
Matt Short captains the Adelaide Strikers, with Tim Paine coaching. The Perth Scorchers’ BBL|16 captaincy is still to be confirmed — Ashton Turner captained their BBL|15 title win — and Adam Voges coaches the side. Zak Crawley is a new overseas name in the Scorchers squad.
Who are the players to watch in Match 37?
Matt Short and Ben Stokes for the Strikers, and Cooper Connolly and Jhye Richardson for the Scorchers. Short leads Adelaide and Stokes is the season’s biggest signing, while Connolly is Perth’s rising all-rounder and Richardson leads their pace attack at Adelaide Oval.