Boxing Day Test

Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and many other Commonwealth countries on December 26, the day after Christmas Day; or alternatively on the next weekday after Christmas.

In common usage, 26 December is continually referred to as Boxing Day whichever day of the week it occurs on. If it falls on a Sunday then in countries where it is a Bank Holiday the Statutory Holiday is moved to Monday 27 December to ensure a day without work. As Christmas Day would therefore be a Saturday, Tuesday 28 December is also declared as a holiday in lieu.

In some Commonwealth countries, fixed-date holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are often observed on the next weekday, so if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday then Monday 28 December is a public holiday; in the UK and other countries this is accomplished by Royal Proclamation.

If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday itself then the Boxing Day holiday is automatically on Monday 26 December, and no Royal Proclamation is required. In such a circumstance, a 'substitute bank holiday in lieu of Christmas Day' is declared for Tuesday 27 December, this being the next available working day - thus the Boxing Day holiday occurs before the substitute Christmas holiday.

Boxing Day Test:

The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, involving Australian cricket team and the opposition national team touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day (December 26), and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

History:

In 1950 the first ever Australian Boxing Day Test was hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. No Boxing Day Tests were played in Melbourne between 1953 and 1967, and periodically the Australian Cricket Team played on Boxing Day in other nations. However in 1980 the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Australian cricket team secured the rights to play the match annually.

Other Boxing Day Tests:

In New Zealand an annual Boxing Day Test Match was played at Basin Reserve in Wellington, involving the New Zealand cricket team as one of the competing sides. Over the past few years the Boxing day Test has been phased out for a One Day International and Twenty20 matches involving New Zealand and the touring opposition national team.

In South Africa a Boxing Day Test is often played if another national team is touring to play the South African cricket team.