When was the last time a Boxing Day Test was actually gripping? Not last year, when India effectively won the match midway through Day 3.
Not the year before either, when a turgid pitch produced a boring draw and earned a rebuke from the ICC.
The two summers prior to that Australia steamrolled Pakistan and the West Indies, and going back a year further India and Australia played out a mind-numbing draw on a ridiculously flat pitch.
In 2013 Australia’s eight-wicket win at the MCG against a broken England team put them 4-0 up in the Ashes, and in 2012 they monstered Sri Lanka by an innings and 201 runs.
You have to go back eight summers to find the most recent Boxing Day Test that produced an interesting contest. In that match in 2011 India were an outside chance of chasing 292 to win before a strong Aussie bowling display saw them win by 122 runs.
(Julian Smith/AAP)
It wasn’t exactly a classic Test. But even still, that’s the closest match we’ve seen at the MCG in the past two decades. In reality the last properly exciting Boxing Day Test was 21 years ago when England won by 12 runs in an absolute thriller. Twenty-one years ago!
What’s more is that in recent years the MCG surface has been so sleepy that we haven’t often even seen patches of engrossing cricket amid otherwise one-sided matches. There have probably been more captivating passages of play in the two Tests at Perth Stadium than there have been across the past ten Boxing Day matches.
Whenever we hear pundits and fans hyping up Boxing Day they use the same talking points about the history and the atmosphere and the huge crowds. In other words, they praise everything but the cricket itself. Because banging on about an absorbing Boxing Day Test from 21 years ago isn’t that inspiring.
Victorian cricket writer Gideon Haigh last week said Perth Stadium was not fit to host the Boxing Day Test because it had “as much atmosphere as an aircraft hangar and it’s as sterile as an operating theatre”. By comparison, he reckoned, the “MCG has everything in its favour”.
“It’s the venue of the first Test match (ever), it’s the venue of the first One Day International – it’s the venue of all our great occasions,” Haigh argued.
I agree that the MCG is a terrific sporting venue, one of the best in the world. The small problem is that it so very rarely produces riveting Test cricket. I’d rather watch a close Test match at a rundown stadium anywhere on the planet than another one-sided Boxing Day match on a stodgy MCG pitch, no matter how good the atmosphere or how large the crowds or how proud the traditions involved.
The Boxing Day Test might be enjoyable for those fans who get to attend the match live and savour the rousing ambience and spectacular setting. But for those of us watching it on TV none of that enhances our experience. We’re just watching the cricket. And, for the most part, the cricket sucks. Like a pugilist who years ago knocked out a champion and ever since has been coasting against no-name fighters, the Boxing Day Test is living off a faded reputation.
Never has it been under more scrutiny either. For several years now discontent has been growing about the lifeless state of its pitch and the stale cricket it tends to produce. As my Roar colleague David Schout highlighted in an excellent recent piece, the MCG faces enormous pressure to produce an acceptable surface for next week’s Test between Australia and New Zealand.
Just like Perth Stadium, the MCG is a drop-in pitch. Yet that Perth deck is now easily the best Test surface in Australia.
So the problem isn’t, as many fans claim, with drop-in pitches specifically. It is an MCG problem. The reputation of the Boxing Day Test has already taken a beating. It cannot afford to serve up another five days of forgettable cricket.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
I went to a day of the Boxing Day test be South Africa and it was awesome, way back in 2008. I don’t think it’s overrated, but the lackluster pitches of recent seasons has taken the shine off it a bit. As others have said, it’s not just the cricket, it’s the whole festive occasion of the time of year. You are taking a very simplistic view of the event which doesn’t help your argument
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Marty, Here's hoping. But I do wonder though if the Perth Test wicket is always going to be mercurial due to that towns' drying heat and wind. Many a Shield and Test game at the WACA should have been abandoned due to the cracks/canyons these conditions produced. Again, here's hoping they get it right.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
This article could pre empt a classic at mcg lol. If NZ bat first will be interesting although hot weather comes in midway through test. articles saying it will have something in it this pitch . Be funny if the aus v nz is a classic now . Five days rain free it seems so could get interesting, particularrly if nz wins toss and this time no heat stinkers and less bounce in it than perth . Hard to tell how this pitch will go.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Lets see how this one goes . May surprise especially if NZ bat first. Weather looks good. Cricket info article states the pitch will have something in it and won't be totally benign
Pierro
Roar Rookie
they are depressing numbers really. Its why I love adelaide on their weekend surely more ?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Pakistan shouldn't get two tests until they can demonstrate a bit more down under in one test perhaps
Marty
Roar Rookie
It’s certainly debatable but seeing as they’ve only been at it for a couple of years it’s definitely showing potential.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
No. Melbourne's population doesn't support cricket like Adelaide or Perth. All it can hang it's hat on is Boxing Day, when the holiday period allows interstate (and international, in the case of NZ) cricket supporters to attend. "The point is if there were any legitimacy to the complaint that Perth would get Boxing Day type crowds if only the test were held in the holiday period, then we’d expect a spike in attendances on the weekend (you know, when those Test-starved cricket fans are finally off work and free to attend)." To claim that a post-xmas holiday week is the equivalence of time availability in the 2nd last week and 2nd last weekend before xmas when everyone is either/both working their backsides off to get business in shape before the break and/or in a blue-fly rush to get ready for xmas, is the absurdity Melbourne fails to support the game on par with rest of the country on almost every other occasion outside of Boxing Day. It simply gets its Test aggregate because it's a holiday period. Without that, it would be below Adelaide, a city 1/3 its size. The BBL semi final last year in Melbourne, involving *both* Melbourne sides, attracted just 15k. Yet Perth and Adelaide averaged 30K for home games. Why is that? And yes BBL is not Tests, but it's the *only* like for like comparison there is given Melbourne is given a free hit every year during xmas holiday week. So why is that? Why don't actual Melbourne residents support the game? But let's reverse your argument Paul. You say the public holiday and post Xmas week holiday has no impact, so why not move the Boxing Day Test from Melbourne, because it would make no difference to MCG attendances, right? In which case, out of interest, which day would you say would draw the 65k-70k at the MCG? Is it the weekday Thursday, or the Saturday? Or maybe the Sunday? Love to hear that answer.
Simoc
Guest
The answer is because the board either try to tell the head groundsman what to do or employ a poor performer. The ability and technology is out there and they still stuff it up. It actually isn't so hard to put up a good wicket but they do some stupid things ( like putting concrete beneath the surface). I think they're buying sales talk rather then employing competent curators.
Simoc
Guest
The English grounds look full with 20000 people in and they have a much higher population density. I reckon test cricket at a place like Hagley Park in Christchurch is about right. It's great on TV for most and for those there lying on the grass feels a little better than concrete among drunken revellers. Junction Oval in Melbourne and Allen Border Field provide the right cricket setting for tests here. T20s are a different animal.
Paul2
Guest
Sorry, Jeff, but much of that sounds like special pleading akin to "But, if my aunty had bollocks she'd me my uncle". Some brief points: - Yes, there'll be many Kiwis in attendance on Boxing Day. That's because there are many kiwis living in Melbourne. Big cities tend to have more foreigners (as well as more locals!) living in them than small cities. I'm sure there'll be a good number traveling to Melbourne. Big cities also attract lots of visitors. - It's not that I expected a bumper crowd in Perth on Saturday. The point is if there were any legitimacy to the complaint that Perth would get Boxing Day type crowds if only the test were held in the holiday period, then we'd expect a spike in attendances on the weekend (you know, when those Test-starved cricket fans are finally off work and free to attend). Since there was no such spike (Saturday and Sunday were attended by 17K and 9K respectively), the complaint is bogus. - Insisting on some per capita adjustment to attendances is absurd (see my point above about big cities). Aggregate test attendances at the MCG are bigger than anywhere else on the planet. Nowhere else in Australia can deliver that. It really is that simple.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Adelaide gets big test crowds
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
The only at present lol
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
Have you sen the Forged in Fire show on Fox/Kayo? It's a cracker and illustrates how much has changed since full professionalism. No doubt players are much fitter these days, and fielding particularly is much better, but I doubt we will see characters like Thommo and Dougie again.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Bocce?
The Late News
Roar Rookie
They try pretty hard in Sydney too mate!
The Late News
Roar Rookie
First of his name hey Brendon!
The Late News
Roar Rookie
A freebie Aiden...quite a few people don't think AFL is a "very fringe' sport!
DTM
Guest
I love the WACA but unless you get a pleasant day or you are in the expensive seats, it is sub standard for the patrons.
DTM
Guest
Yep, if the last test had been at the WACA attendances would have been 50% of what it was at Optus.