Too long
The eighth season was the largest the competition has staged: 56 league matches, fourteen per side, plus two semi-finals and a final, running from 19 December 2018 to 17 February 2019. The intention was to give broadcasters a full summer of content. The effect was a tournament that outlasted its own audience: crowds and ratings fell away in January, and several matches were played against an Australian international schedule. Cricket Australia pulled the calendar back inside the school holidays the following year and, in 2023-24, cut the league stage to 40 matches.
The league stage
Hobart Hurricanes finished first with ten wins, held together by D'Arcy Short, who made 637 runs and broke the record he had set the previous summer. Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers followed on eight wins each, and Melbourne Stars took the last place with seven from fourteen.
Perth Scorchers, who had won three titles and reached four finals in seven seasons, won four of fourteen and finished eighth. Kane Richardson of the Renegades took 24 wickets, more than anyone had taken in a season, and Callum Ferguson's 113 not out at Optus Stadium and Shane Watson's hundred for Sydney Thunder were among the few large individual scores in a season of moderate totals; no side reached 200.
Semi-finals
Melbourne Stars went to Blundstone Arena on 14 February and chased down 154 with seven balls to spare, Daniel Worrall taking 4 for 23 and the match award. Hobart, table-toppers, were out.
The following night at Marvel Stadium, Sydney Sixers made 180 for 3 and Melbourne Renegades chased it with a ball remaining, Daniel Christian steering the finish. It set up the first Big Bash League final between the two Melbourne clubs.
The final
Marvel Stadium, 17 February, in front of 40,816. Melbourne Renegades batted first and were held to 145 for 5, Tom Cooper unbeaten on 43 and Adam Zampa taking 2 for 21. Melbourne Stars, needing 146, were 132 for 7 at the end; Christian and Chris Tremain each took two wickets, and Christian was named player of the match for the second time in four days.
It was the Renegades' first title in eight seasons and the second final Melbourne Stars had lost.
Afterwards
The 2018-19 season closed the competition's first structural era. From 2019-20 the four-team knockout was replaced by a five-team finals series of Eliminator, Qualifier, Knockout, Challenger and Final, and the calendar was pulled back inside the school holidays. D'Arcy Short's 637 runs stood as the season record until Marcus Stoinis passed it the following summer.