Reigning champions Adelaide Strikers get their title defence under way against Melbourne Stars on Saturday, with the tournament beginning on Thursday as Stars take on Sydney Sixers, live on Sky.

A number of games will be shown live on Sky Sports, including the Sydney derbies between Stars and Thunder on October 22 and November 26 respectively and then the final on December 2.

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Thirteen England players are set to be involved, with Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley and Maia Bouchier in the Stars squad that will be looking to win the title for the first time.

Capsey was Stars' second-highest run-scorer last term, making 259 in 12 knocks with one fifty, and also bagged nine wickets.

Bouchier starred for Southern Brave and England this summer, racking up 268 runs for the former as they won The Hundred and then scoring her first international half-century for the latter with a 65-ball 95 in a one-day international against Sri Lanka.

Dunkley had a lean summer for England but did impress in The Hundred for Welsh Fire with 262 runs across the tournament and will hope to take that form into her maiden WBBL.

Title holders Strikers have another star Hundred performer in their ranks in Georgia Adams.

The off-spinning all-rounder topped the wicket-taking charts with 16 for Brave this summer, 11 more than any other player, and is a handy batter, too. England all-rounder Danielle Gibson is also with Strikers.

Tammy Beaumont will get another chance to press her England T20 claims as she plays for Melbourne Renegades. The opener, who has not featured in a T20 international since January 2022, smashed 118 from 61 balls for Fire in The Hundred, hitting 20 fours and two sixes.

Lanning 'disappointed' and 'frustrated' by Sciver-Brunt's Scorchers move

Perth Scorchers are poised to have three England players, with wicketkeeper Amy Jones a constant, opening batter Lauren Winfield-Hill set for an early-season stint, and all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt due to arrive for an eight-game spell thereafter - in a move that has irked Stars captain Meg Lanning.

Sciver-Brunt was not included in the WBBL draft, at which she would have been a retention pick for Stars, with the England and Wales Cricket Board reportedly not making her available due to her knee issues.

However, the 31-year-old's fitness has significantly improved and she will now replace England team-mate Danni Wyatt at Scorchers, with Wyatt withdrawing due to fatigue.

Lanning said of the Sciver-Brunt situation: "[We're] pretty disappointed actually. She's obviously one of the best players in the world and you want the best players playing in the competition.

"But she sort of made herself unavailable initially and I certainly feel like we didn't get the chance to exercise our retention rights that we would have had for her.

"Not only does that impact us this year but moving forward as well now because Perth have retention rights to her. It's frustrating because I think that the goalposts seem to shift a little bit."

Elsewhere, England new-ball bowler Lauren Bell and captain Heather Knight will play for Sydney Thunder, while off-spinning all-rounder Bryony Smith for Hobart Hurricanes.

Brisbane Heat will have powerful wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath for the duration of the tournament and leg-spinner Sarah Glenn for the start of it as she acts as cover before the arrival of New Zealander Amelia Kerr.

Live Women's Big Bash League matches on Sky Sports

• October 19 - Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars
• October 22 - Perth Scorchers vs Brisbane Heat
• October 22 - Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers
• October 27 - Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes
• October 27 - Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars
• November 3 - Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers
• November 3 - Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades
• November 5 - Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Renegades
• November 5 - Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers
• November 10 - Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars
• November 10 - Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes
• November 12 - Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder
• November 12 - Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars
• November 17 - Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes
• November 17 - Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Renegades
• November 19 - Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes
• November 19 - Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat
• November 24 - Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder
• November 24 - Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers
• November 26 - Hobart Hurricanes vs Adelaide Strikers
• November 26 - Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder
• December 2 - Final

Watch the Women's Big Bash League opener between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars live on Sky Sports Mix from 9.40am on Thursday. Stream cricket and more sport with NOW.