Boxing Day Test
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, involving the Australian cricket team and an opposing national team that is touring Australia during the southern summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day (26 December) and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Boxing Day Test | |
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![]() The Melbourne Cricket Ground during the first day of the 2015 Boxing Day Test match | |
Status | Active |
Genre | Sporting event |
Begins | 26 December |
Ends | On or before 30 December |
Frequency | Annual |
Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Location(s) | Melbourne, Victoria |
Country | Australia |
Inaugurated | 1950 |
History
![](../I/Boxingaday.jpg.webp)
By long tradition, a Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales had been played at the MCG over the Christmas period dating back as far as 1865. [1] It included Boxing Day as one of the scheduled days of play, much to the chagrin of the NSW players who missed spending Christmas with their families as a result. The Melbourne Test was usually held over the New Year period, often starting on 1 January.
During the 1950–51 Ashes series, the Melbourne Test was played from 22 to 27 December, with the fourth day's play being on Boxing Day, but no test matches were played on Boxing Day in Melbourne between 1953 and 1967. Because there were six Tests in the 1974–75 Ashes series, in order to fit them all in to the overall schedule, the Third Test at Melbourne was scheduled to start on Boxing Day.
That was the origin of the modern tradition, although it was not until 1980 that it was formalized by the Australian Cricket Board, alongside the recent acquisition of its television rights by the Nine Network, and Melbourne emphasizing its hosting of major sporting events (such as the AFL Grand Final and Australian Open) to offset the decline of its manufacturing industry.[2]
The Boxing Day Test has cultural significance and often draws large crowds,[3] although increased competition from Twenty20 fixtures in the Big Bash League has led to variances in attendance; the MCG hosted its largest Boxing Day crowd in 2013 (the fourth Test of the 2013–14 Ashes series against England) in 2013.[3]
![](../I/Beer_cup_stacking_at_the_MCG.jpg.webp)
Individual awards
Since 1975, there has been an official Player of the Match named in each Boxing Day Test. Since 2020, the man of the match has received the Mullagh Medal, named in honour of Indigenous Australian cricketer Johnny Mullagh.[4][5]
List of Boxing Day Test matches
- In 1989, instead of a Test match, a One Day International was held on 26 December at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between Australia and Sri Lanka. Australia won by 30 runs in front of a crowd of 45,012.[25]
See also
Notes
- Boxing Day was the third day of the Test match.
- Boxing Day was the second day of the Test match.
- Boxing Day was the fourth day of the test match.
- It rained on Boxing Day.
- A maximum of 30,000 people were allowed to attend each day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]
References
- "Victoria vs New South Wales, 1865-66". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- "The surprisingly short history of the Boxing Day Test". ABC News. 24 December 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- Boaz, Judd; Gordon, Oliver (22 December 2021). "Capacity crowds at Boxing Day Test and Australian Open still planned despite Omicron fears". ABC News. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- Wales, Sean (9 December 2019). "'You get told about Bradman but not our mob': Test medal to honour Indigenous cricketing icon". ABC News. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- "The Indigenous hole at Australian cricket's heart". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- "2nd Test: Australia v. England 1950". ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- "Records – MCG Test Matches". Melbourne Cricket Ground. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- "Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendances". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015.
- "Recent MCG Cricket Attendances". Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- "India tour of Australia, 2011/12 (1st Test)". ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- OFFICIAL CROWD FIGURE: 53,389 #AUSvWI twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
- Official attendance today: 40,516. #AUSvWI #MCG twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
- Official attendance today: 26,003. #AUSvWI #MCG twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
- Today's attendance for Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test is 7,161 #AUSvWI twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
- @MCG (26 December 2016). "Today's official attendance at the MCG: 63,478. #AusvPak" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @MCG (27 December 2016). "Official Attendance on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test: 39,339 #AUSvPAK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @MCG (28 December 2016). "Official attendance at the 'G for Day 3 of the Test is 25,393 #AUSvPAK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @MCG (29 December 2016). "For those playing at home, the official attendance for today was 7789. #AusvPak" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- @MCG (30 December 2016). "@ozrobbo: It was 6189" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Australia vs India, 3rd Test - India in Aus 2018-19". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- "Boxing Day Test: 80,000 fans turn up in record attendance at Melbourne". Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- "2nd Test: Australia d New Zealand (d4)". austadiums.com. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- "Boxing Day Test attendance increased". Melbourne Cricket Club. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- "Cricket Results & Crowds". austadiums.com. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Australia vs Sri Lanka, 1st Match - Benson & Hedges World Series 1989-90". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
External links
- History of MCG Boxing Day Tests
- Scoreboard: 1950 Boxing Day Test
- Scoreboard: 1952 Boxing Day Test
- Scoreboard: 1968 Boxing Day Test
- Scoreboard: 1974 Boxing Day Test
- Scoreboard: 1975 Boxing Day Test
- Scoreboard: 1980 Boxing Day Test