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Boxing Day Test

Summary

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
The Melbourne Cricket Ground during the first day of the 2015 Boxing Day Test match
StatusActive
GenreSporting event
Begins26 December
EndsOn or before 30 December
FrequencyAnnual
VenueMelbourne Cricket Ground
Location(s)Melbourne, Victoria
CountryAustralia
Inaugurated1968 (1968)

History edit

 
Cricket crowd at the Boxing Day test in 2007

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 formalised by the Australian Cricket Board, alongside the recent acquisition of its television rights by the Nine Network, and Melbourne emphasising 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.[3]

 
Beer cup snake during the 2021 Boxing Day Test

Individual awards edit

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 edit

Year Opposition team Result Boxing Day Crowd Total Attendance Player of the Match - Mullagh Medal
1968   West Indies   Australia won by an innings and 30 runs 18,766 113,376
1974   England Draw 77,167 250,750[6]
1975   West Indies   Australia won by 8 wickets 85,661 222,755[6]   Jeff Thomson
1980   New Zealand Draw 28,671 82,745   Richard Hadlee
1981   West Indies   Australia won by 58 runs 39,982 134,081[6]   Kim Hughes
1982   England   England won by 3 runs 63,900 214,882[6]   Norman Cowans
1983   Pakistan Draw 40,277 111,611[6]   Graham Yallop
1985   India Draw 18,146 77,715[6]   Allan Border
1986   England   England won by an innings and 14 runs 58,203 107,817[6]   Gladstone Small
1987   New Zealand Draw 51,807 127,184[6]   Richard Hadlee
1990   England   Australia won by 9 wickets 49,763 129,530[6]   Bruce Reid
1991   India   Australia won by 8 wickets 42,494 89,369[6]   Bruce Reid
1992   West Indies   Australia won by 139 runs 28,397 83,320[6]   Shane Warne
1993   South Africa Draw 15,604[a] 48,565[6]   Mark Taylor
1995   Sri Lanka   Australia won by 10 wickets 55,239 105,388[6]   Glenn McGrath
1996   West Indies   West Indies won by 6 wickets 72,891 131,671[6]   Curtly Ambrose
1997   South Africa Draw 73,812 160,182[6]   Jacques Kallis
1998   England   England won by 12 runs 61,580 159,031[6]   Dean Headley
1999   India   Australia won by 180 runs 49,082[a] 134,554[6]   Sachin Tendulkar
2000   West Indies   Australia won by 352 runs 73,233 133,299[6]   Steve Waugh
2001   South Africa   Australia won by 9 wickets 61,796 153,025[6]   Matthew Hayden
2002   England   Australia won by 5 wickets 64,189[b] 177,658[6]   Justin Langer
2003   India   Australia won by 9 wickets 62,613[b] 179,662[6]   Ricky Ponting
2004   Pakistan   Australia won by 9 wickets 61,552[b] 129,079[6]   Damien Martyn
2005   South Africa   Australia won by 184 runs 71,910[b] 192,338[6]   Michael Hussey
2006   England   Australia won by an innings and 99 runs 89,155[7] 244,351[6]   Shane Warne
2007   India   Australia won by 337 runs 68,465[8] 166,663[8]   Matthew Hayden
2008   South Africa   South Africa won by 9 wickets 63,263[8] 174,246[8]   Dale Steyn
2009   Pakistan   Australia won by 170 runs 59,206[8] 156,267[8]   Shane Watson
2010   England   England won by an innings and 157 runs 84,345[8] 240,156[8]   Jonathan Trott
2011   India   Australia won by 122 runs[9] 70,068[8] 189,347[9]   James Pattinson
2012   Sri Lanka   Australia won by an innings and 201 runs 67,138[8] 137,455[8]   Mitchell Johnson
2013   England   Australia won by 8 wickets 91,112[8] 271,865[8]   Mitchell Johnson
2014   India Draw 69,993 194,481   Ryan Harris
2015   West Indies   Australia won by 177 runs 53,389 127,069[10][11][12][13]   Nathan Lyon
2016   Pakistan   Australia won by an innings and 18 runs 63,478[a] 142,188[14][15][16][17][18]   Steve Smith
2017   England Draw 88,173 261,335   Alastair Cook
2018   India   India won by 137 runs[19] 73,516 176,539   Jasprit Bumrah
2019   New Zealand   Australia won by 247 runs 80,473[20] 203,472[21]   Travis Head
2020   India   India won by 8 wickets 27,615[c] 89,472[23]   Ajinkya Rahane
2021   England   Australia won by an innings and 14 runs 57,100 140,671   Scott Boland
2022   South Africa   Australia won by an innings and 182 runs 64,876 155,714   David Warner
2023   Pakistan   Australia won by 79 runs 62,167 164,835   Pat Cummins
2024   India
2025   England
2026   New Zealand
  • 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.[24]

Overall Record - Australia vs Visitors edit

Opposition Team GP W L D Recent Test
  England 13 7 4 2 Boxing Day 2021
  India 9 5 2 2 Boxing Day 2020
  New Zealand 3 1 0 2 Boxing Day 2019
  Pakistan 5 4 0 1 Boxing Day 2023
  South Africa 7 3 2 2 Boxing Day 2022
  Sri Lanka 2 2 0 0 Boxing Day 2012
  West Indies 9 6 2 1 Boxing Day 2015
Total 48 28 10 10 Boxing Day 2023
Percentages 58 21 21

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c It rained on Boxing Day.
  2. ^ a b c d Capacity of ground reduced due to redevelopment for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
  3. ^ A maximum of 30,000 people were allowed to attend each day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]

References edit

  1. ^ "Victoria vs New South Wales, 1865-66". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. ^ "The surprisingly short history of the Boxing Day Test". ABC News. 24 December 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "The Indigenous hole at Australian cricket's heart". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Records – MCG Test Matches". Melbourne Cricket Ground. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Melbourne Cricket Ground Attendances". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Recent MCG Cricket Attendances". Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  9. ^ a b "India tour of Australia, 2011/12 (1st Test)". ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  10. ^ OFFICIAL CROWD FIGURE: 53,389 #AUSvWI twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
  11. ^ Official attendance today: 40,516. #AUSvWI #MCG twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
  12. ^ Official attendance today: 26,003. #AUSvWI #MCG twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
  13. ^ Today's attendance for Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test is 7,161 #AUSvWI twitter.com/MCG. Retrieved on 29 Dec 2015
  14. ^ @MCG (26 December 2016). "Today's official attendance at the MCG: 63,478. #AusvPak" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ @MCG (27 December 2016). "Official Attendance on Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test: 39,339 #AUSvPAK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ @MCG (28 December 2016). "Official attendance at the 'G for Day 3 of the Test is 25,393 #AUSvPAK" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ @MCG (29 December 2016). "For those playing at home, the official attendance for today was 7789. #AusvPak" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ @MCG (30 December 2016). "@ozrobbo: It was 6189" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. ^ "Australia vs India, 3rd Test - India in Aus 2018-19". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  20. ^ "Boxing Day Test: 80,000 fans turn up in record attendance at Melbourne". Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  21. ^ "2nd Test: Australia d New Zealand (d4)". austadiums.com. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Boxing Day Test attendance increased". Melbourne Cricket Club. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Cricket Results & Crowds". austadiums.com. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Australia vs Sri Lanka, 1st Match - Benson & Hedges World Series 1989-90". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

External links edit

  • History of MCG Boxing Day Tests
  • Scoreboard: 1968 Boxing Day Test
  • Scoreboard: 1974 Boxing Day Test
  • Scoreboard: 1975 Boxing Day Test
  • Scoreboard: 1980 Boxing Day Test

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