Here's how the new BBL finals format works

What's happening?

The second of the KFC Big Bash finals is called the 'Qualifier', featuring the first-placed Melbourne Stars and the second-placed Sydney Sixers. The winner of the Qualifier goes straight through to the Final on February 8, which they will host, while the loser gets a second chance and will play in the 'Challenger' on February 6.

When and where is it?

It's at 7.15pm on Friday at the MCG, Melbourne.

How can I watch, listen or follow the scores?

The match will be broadcast live on Channel 7 and Fox Cricket, streamed on Kayo Sports and available on Macquarie Sports Radio and Big Bash Nation. You can keep up to speed with the live scores here.

Form guide

The Sydney Sixers have won three BBL matches on the bounce, narrowly edging out the Adelaide Strikers to finish second and earn a double chance.

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Despite finishing first, the Melbourne Stars have suffered three defeats in a row ahead of this meeting. The Stars won eight games in succession immediately before this current run.

Head to head

It's one win each in Stars versus Sixers matches in BBL|09, with the home side winning handsomely both times.

At the MCG, the Stars piled on 1-219 on the back of Marcus Stoinis' record-breaking 147no off 79 balls, and eventually won by 44 runs. In the reverse fixture, the Sixers hit back, winning a rain-affected match by 21 runs thanks largely to Moises Henriques' 72 off 31 balls, which included eight sixes.

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Across all nine editions of the Big Bash League, the sides have met on 12 occasions, with the Stars winning seven, including one in a Super Over. At the MCG the Stars' record is four wins from six matches.

The squads

Stars: Glenn Maxwell (c), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Peter Handscomb, Clint Hinchliffe, Dilbar Hussain, Nick Larkin, Nic Maddinson, Haris Rauf, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa

Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Dan Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, James Vince

Key players

Adam Zampa: With Nepalese star Sandeep Lamichhane on international duty, the performance of leg-spinner Adam Zampa becomes all the more important. Zampa has excelled at the MCG this BBL; his economy rate is a miserly 5.7 and he's averaging two wickets per match at the Stars' home ground.

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Sean Abbott: The Sixers lose English allrounder Tom Curran, but regain Sean Abbott who has missed the last nine matches with a side strain. Abbott will be expected to close out the innings with the ball because only Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) has a better economy rate in the death (overs 17-20) in BBL|09 than Abbott's 8.2. Across the last two BBLs, when Abbott has taken three or more wickets, the Sixers have won three and lost one.

Key stats

Glenn Maxwell (Stars) has scored 414 runs against the Sydney Sixers in the BBL which is 86 more than any other batsman. His highest ever score in the competition came against the men in pink (84 off 47 balls in BBL|07).

Ben Dwarshuis (Sixers) will have a very important role to play for his side in the Qualifier; only Nathan Ellis (Hurricanes) has bowled more balls in overs 16-20 than Dwarshuis' 109. The left-arm quick is second for total dot balls bowled too, his 113 in BBL|09 is bettered only by Jhye Richardson of the Scorchers (144).

Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars) needs just 31 more runs to record the most by a batsman in a single edition of the BBL – D'Arcy Short holds the record with 637 in BBL|08.

No bowler has more wickets in the Powerplay than Jackson Bird's (Sixers) eight; while the most effective for the Stars in the first six overs has been Maxwell, with six.