Nowadays there are many daily fantasy cricket gaming platforms such as 11Wickets by Kolkata based Ability Games, which offer the ardent cricket fans choose their dream team for the almost all cricket tournaments and series.
One of the most important tournaments in the world of cricket and online fantasy cricket at 11wickets.com is the Boxing Day tournament. Yes, we know that you are aware of it. But let’s talk about it for the ones who are taking interest in the world of cricket lately.
Beginning of Boxing Day Test match
Boxing Day Test match is played in Melbourne, Australia between Australia and the cricket team traveling Down Under that summer time. However, it starts on Boxing Day, which is 26th December, and is played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). These matches are usually played since 1950.
These games are at their finest when England tours Australia in summer. Boxing Day Test matches between these two teams have experienced great memories and perhaps they are counted in the lists of a few best Boxing Day Tests.
The most important ever Boxing Day match at the MCG was played out between these two teams which captivated 60,486 fans who experienced a thriller. Australia won that game by just 28 runs. Thus that was just a trailer, the approaching years had even more surprises for the cricket crazy nation.
The custom still carries on as the crowd there love sports. They present you with in large numbers on the Boxing Day to enable them to spend some time with friends and family and relax after having a hectic Christmas Day.
Boxing Day Test match of Australians
The Australians would not get to have the Ashes entertainment each year as the series is every four years. And it’s not compulsory that every summer there is a team scheduled to tour Australia. So the Boxing Day is focused very often by the competition between the two states, Victoria and New South-Wales during the Sheffield Shield matches.
Boxing Day Test match of Kiwis
In New Zealand too, yearly Boxing Day Test matches were played between the Black Caps and the touring team for summer. But afterwards, one-day international matches substituted Test matches for the Boxing Day competition and it is played at Basin Reserve, Wellington.
Boxing Day Test match of The Proteas
The South Africans take up the Boxing Day match customarily at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, Durban – each time a National team is touring SA for a summer otherwise they do not have it.
You will find few occurrences which have marked their place in historical past of Boxing Day matches. Who is going to forget Shane Warne’s 700th wicket in the 2nd Test match of 2006-07 Ashes? His bowling victim was England’s Andrew Strauss. Warne retired from International cricket following that series.
Umpire Darrell Hair no-balled the Legendary Muttiah Muralitharan 7 times during the second Test match of 1995 series in Melbourne. As stated by Hair, the bowler twisted his arm and straightens it along the way of delivery which is regarded as an unlawful action in cricket.
Looking at few unforgettable Boxing Day Test matches, we come across that the Aussies have already been on the winner’s team a lot of times.
1995-96 Sri Lanka vs Australia
This match was a good example of Australia’s prominence in the Boxing Day Test matches. The Aussies have scored 500 in the first innings, including Steve Waugh and David Boon’s centuries. The oppositions still did not make even the half the score so they returned to bat for the second innings.
The Sri Lankans bundled for 307, thus setting the Australians having a small target of 41 runs. The Kangaroos won this match by 10 wickets easily.
1998-99 Australia vs England
It was the 4th Test match of 1988/99 Ashes. Poor scoring in a Test match causes it to be nail-biting that was shown in this match. England gave us only 270 runs in the first innings, while the hosts reached the 340 mark prior to getting all out.
The Aussies got a target of 174 in their last innings however they couldn’t deal with even that. They lost their wickets rapidly 7 wickets in about 30 runs. England won just by 12 runs. Dean Headley was the player of the match as he took six wickets in the 4th innings.
2002-03 Australia vs England
The Australians had saved the Ashes that year with 4-1 win over England. They had been annoying their arch rivals since 1989 by winning the series each time. The Boxing Day Test match of 2002 had granted the Australian team a lead of 4-0.
Justin Langer was the Man of the Match for making double century in the 1st innings which worked out for the Aussies to reach 551 additionally Mathew Hayden’s 105.
2008-09 South Africa vs Australia
The match between Australia and South Africa holds the 2nd position behind the Ashes. The Boxing Day Test match was the 2nd Test in 2008-09 series where Africans’ bowling section led by former World No 1 Dale Steyn shook the Australian cricket team batting order.
The Australians was able to make only 394 and 247 in their two innings. South Africans had to make 183 to win and they did it with nine wickets left.
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