Remembering my first Boxing Day Test

My first boxing day cricket test experience was in 1967/68 when Australia played India in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. Yep, Adelaide.

This was my introduction to 46 years of following cricket.

The Test team that day in batting order was: Bobby Simpson (c), Bill Lawry (vc), Paul Sheahan, Bob Cowper, Ian Redpath, Ian Chappell, Barry Jarman (wk), Graham McKenzie, Johnny Gleeson, Alan Connolly, Dave Renneberg.

The Indian XI opposed to them that day was: Farook Engineer (wk), Dilip Sardesai, Ajit Wadekar, Chandu Borde (c), Rusi Surti, Bapu Nadkarni, Syed Abid Ali, Venkat Subramanya, Erapalli Prasanna, Umesh Kulkarni, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar.

Regular skipper Nawab of Pataudi missed the test with a leg injury.

My family was visiting relatives in Australia from our then-home in Papua New Guinea.

We were staying at Wagga Wagga where my dad hailed from and the few days before and after Xmas were a sporting smorgasbord for me.

As an 11-year-old being introduced to a sport for the first time, I asked my father a thousand questions.

“Who’s Simpson? What’s an opening batsman? Who’s McKenzie? What’s a fast bowler? What’s a run out? What’s a silly leg? What does maiden over mean?”

And so the questions went on and on. My father answered them all patiently as I recall.

Australia won an engrossing Test comfortably in the end by 146 runs. Australia scored 335 and 369 while India replied with 307 and 251.

For Australia, Simpson hit 55 and 103; Cowper 92 and 108; and Sheahan 81 in the first innings. Connolly captured 4-54 in India’s first innings and Renneberg 5-39 in the second.

For India, Engineer hit a rattling 89 & Borde 69 in the first innings; Abid Ali another rattling 75 in the second, while Surti produced a double of 70 and 53. Abid Ali took 6-55 in the first innings and Surti 5-74 in the second.

Australia went on to win all four Tests in the series.

It’s important to make the distinction that my family was holidaying in Australia from PNG.

In 1967 there was no instant news. There was no internet, no computer, no iphone or ipad. There was no TV in PNG. The only means of communication were by repeater radio and co-axial cable telephone.

The only place in PNG that received the newspapers on the same day as Australia was the capital Port Moresby. And that was at 4.30-5pm in the afternoon.

All other towns received the papers 24 hours later. Imagine receiving the news 24 hours later today. You would turn your nose up in disgust!

So I gathered all my info on the outside world every three months of two years we spent in Australia on holidays. By 1967 when I was eleven, I was old enough to expand my horizon beyond kid’s TV comedies, westerns, etc.

The first Boxing Day cricket test in Australia didn’t occur until the 1950/51 Ashes series. Prior to this, Boxing Day had been the preserve of NSW-Victoria Shield matches.

In its heyday, this Shield match regularly attracted 10,000 fans on boxing day at either the SCG or MCG. These are the kind of attendance figures that cricket just dreams about today.

Back in the 60s, Boxing Day was very busy. Apart from the now usual cricket Test, there was the start of the Sydney to Hobart ocean yacht race, while the defence of the tennis Davis Cup also began on boxing day.

In the 50s and 60s Australia were regular finalists in the Davis Cup and often defending on home soil.

In 1967, the Davis Cup tie was played at Milton in Brisbane. Australia beat Spain 4-1. Australia’s stars were Roy Emerson and John Newcombe in the singles, with Tony Roche joining Newcombe in the doubles.

For Spain, the champion Manual Santana & the teenager Manual Orantes played in all their rubbers. Only one Spanish player has surpassed Santana’s four majors and that man is Rafael Nadal.

Sydney to Hobart line honours was won by French entry Pen Duick III in just over four days, not like the blistering day and a half taken by today’s super yachts.

NZ yacht Rainbow II was adjudged the winner on handicap.

So that’s a snapshot of the world for an eleven year old back in 1967. My introduction into cricket, while furthering my knowledge of yachting & tennis.

On boxing day 2013, I expect Australia will begin preparation for their fourth straight win against a rapidly deteriorating England.

I have no sympathy for England. Let’s bury them!