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December 26 marks a crucial date in the cricketing calendar as it is the starting point for the legendary Boxing Day Test matches. It is a cricketing tradition that has often produced memorable moments written in the sport's history. Like every year, 2023 presents two enthralling red-ball contests among four of the top teams in world cricket on December 26.
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Starting down under, Australia will play hosts to Pakistan in the second Test of the three-game series at the legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground. From Oceania travelling eastwards, South Africa will take on India at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Why is Test match starting on December 26 called Boxing Day Test?
The day after Christmas, December 26, is referred to as Boxing Day in the United Kingdom. Similarly, countries once part of the British Empire like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa and more.
The lore behind Boxing Day comes from Queen Victoria's rule in the 1800s, when servants, part of lower British society, received hand-picked gifts from their masters during the Christmas season that were called 'Christmas Box'. Hence the day was named 'Boxing Day' when poor people got gift boxes and opened them in Churches after Christmas on December 26.
Cricket's connection with Boxing Day
The first time Cricket and Boxing Day coincided was in 1892. MCG hosted a Sheffield Shield game kicking off the tradition of clashes between Victoria and New South Wales starting December 26. In international cricket, the 1950-51 Ashes saw the Melbourne Test include Boxing Day. The Test match started on December 22 with Day 4 being December 26.
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The first Test match to start on Boxing Day was in 1968 when West Indies toured Australia. Then in the 1974–75 series, Ashes got its first Boxing Day contest as the third Test was scheduled to start on December 26. Five years later, in 1980, Melbourne Cricket Club and the Australian cricket team secured the right to start a test match at the MCG every year on Boxing Day.
