Boxing Day Test (South Africa)

The Boxing Day Test is a traditional cricket match which is held in South Africa annually.[1]

Boxing Day Test
StatusActive
GenreSporting event
Begins26 December
EndsOn or before 30 December
FrequencyAnnual
VenueCenturion Park
Location(s)Centurion, Gauteng
CountrySouth Africa
Inaugurated1913 (1913)

History

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The history of South Africa's Boxing Day Test traces back to 1913, with a match against England in Johannesburg.[1] The tradition became more established after South Africa's return to international cricket in the early 1990s, with the 1992 match against India being a notable milestone.[1]

In 2012, an attempt was made to replace the Test with a T20I format, but it was unsuccessful.[1][2][3]

In 2020, the Boxing Test match against Sri Lanka was notably played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 precautions.[1]

On several occasions South Africa has played in Australia's annual Boxing Day Test as the touring side; on such occasions no Boxing Day Test match was held in South Africa.[1]

Venue

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The first modern Boxing Day Test was held at St George's Park Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth in 1992.[1] Two years later, in 1994, the venue shifted to Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. Durban's Kingsmead remained the predominant venue for the event until 2011, when the Test was hosted at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.[4]

In 2018, the venue was shifted to SuperSport Park in Centurion, reflecting changes in preferences and attendance patterns.[1]

List of Boxing Day Test matches held in South Africa

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Boxing Day Test matches held in South Africa[5]
Year Opposition team Result Venue Ref
1913   England   England won by an innings and 12 runs Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [6]
1922   England   South Africa won by 168 runs Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [7]
1927   England   England won by 10 wickets Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [8]
1930   England   South Africa won by 28 runs Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [9]
1935   Australia Match drawn Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [10]
1938   England Match drawn Old Wanderers, Johannesburg [11]
1949   Australia   Australia won by an innings and 85 runs Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg [12]
1953   New Zealand   South Africa won by 132 runs Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg [13]
1956   England   England won by 131 runs Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [14]
1957   Australia Match drawn Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [15]
1961   New Zealand Match drawn Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [16]
1964   England Match drawn Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [17]
1966   Australia   South Africa won by 233 runs Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [18]
1992   India   South Africa won by 9 wickets St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [19]
1994   New Zealand   South Africa won by 8 wickets Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [20]
1995   England Match drawn St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [21]
1996   India   South Africa won by 328 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [22]
1998   West Indies   South Africa won by 9 wickets Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [23]
1999   England Match drawn Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [24]
2000   Sri Lanka Match drawn Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [25]
2002   Pakistan   South Africa won by 10 wickets Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [26]
2003   West Indies   South Africa won by an innings and 65 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [27]
2004   England Match drawn Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [28]
2006   India   South Africa won by 174 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [29]
2007   West Indies   West Indies won by 128 runs St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [30]
2009   England   England won by an innings and 98 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [31]
2010   India   India won by 87 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [32]
2011   Sri Lanka   Sri Lanka won by 208 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [33]
2013   India   South Africa won by 10 wickets Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [34]
2014   West Indies Match drawn St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [35]
2015   England   England won by 241 runs Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [36]
2016   Sri Lanka   South Africa won by 206 runs St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [37]
2017   Zimbabwe   South Africa won by an innings and 120 runs St George's Park Cricket Ground, Port Elizabeth [38]
2018   Pakistan   South Africa won by 6 wickets Centurion Park, Centurion [39]
2019   England   South Africa won by 107 runs Centurion Park, Centurion [40][41]
2020   Sri Lanka   South Africa won by an innings and 45 runs Centurion Park, Centurion [42]
2021   India   India won by 113 runs Centurion Park, Centurion [43][44]
2023   India   South Africa won by an innings and 32 runs Centurion Park, Centurion [45][46]

Overall Record - South Africa vs Visitors

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Opposition Team GP W L D Recent Test
  Australia 4 1 1 2 Boxing Day 1966
  England 13 3 5 5 Boxing Day 2019
  India 7 5 2 0 Boxing Day 2023
  New Zealand 3 2 0 1 Boxing Day 1994
  Pakistan 2 2 0 0 Boxing Day 2018
  Sri Lanka 4 2 1 1 Boxing Day 2020
  West Indies 4 3 0 1 Boxing Day 2014
  Zimbabwe 1 1 0 0 Boxing Day 2017
Total 38 19 9 10 Boxing Day 2023
Percentages 50 23.7 26.31

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Richardson, James (December 23, 2020). "Boxing Day Tests in South Africa: History, traditions and results". The South African.
  2. ^ "South Africa replace Boxing Day Test with T20". ESPNcricinfo.
  3. ^ Sims, Ant (June 5, 2012). "Boxing Day Test scrapped: Not ideal, but profitable". Daily Maverick.
  4. ^ https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/boxing-day-stats-230834
  5. ^ "Boxing Day stats". ESPNcricinfo.
  6. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1913/14, 2nd Test at Johannesburg, December 26 - 30, 1913 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  7. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1922/23, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 23 - 28, 1922 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  8. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1927/28, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 27, 1927 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  9. ^ "SA vs ENG, England [Marylebone Cricket Club] tour of South Africa 1930/31, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 27, 1930 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  10. ^ "SA vs AUS, Australia tour of South Africa 1935/36, 2nd Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 28, 1935 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  11. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1938/39, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 28, 1938 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  12. ^ "SA vs AUS, Australia tour of South Africa 1949/50, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 28, 1949 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  13. ^ "SA vs NZ, New Zealand tour of South Africa 1953/54, 2nd Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 29, 1953 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  14. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1956/57, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 24 - 29, 1956 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  15. ^ "SA vs AUS, Australia tour of South Africa 1957/58, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 23 - 28, 1957 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  16. ^ "SA vs NZ, New Zealand tour of South Africa 1961/62, 2nd Test at Johannesburg, December 26 - 29, 1961 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  17. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1964/65, 2nd Test at Johannesburg, December 23 - 29, 1964 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  18. ^ "SA vs AUS, Australia tour of South Africa 1966/67, 1st Test at Johannesburg, December 23 - 28, 1966 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  19. ^ "SA vs IND, India tour of South Africa 1992/93, 3rd Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 29, 1992 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  20. ^ "SA vs NZ, New Zealand tour of South Africa 1994/95, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 1994 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  21. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1995/96, 4th Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 30, 1995 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  22. ^ "SA vs IND, India tour of South Africa 1996/97, 1st Test at Durban, December 26 - 28, 1996 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  23. ^ "SA vs WI, West Indies tour of South Africa 1998/99, 3rd Test at Durban, December 26 - 29, 1998 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  24. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 1999/00, 3rd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 1999 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  25. ^ "SA vs SL, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2000/01, 1st Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2000 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  26. ^ "SA vs PAK, Pakistan tour of South Africa 2002/03, 1st Test at Durban, December 26 - 29, 2002 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  27. ^ "SA vs WI, West Indies tour of South Africa 2003/04, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 29, 2003 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  28. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 2004/05, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2004 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  29. ^ "SA vs IND, India tour of South Africa 2006/07, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2006 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  30. ^ "SA vs WI, West Indies tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa 2007/08, 1st Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 29, 2007 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  31. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 2009/10, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2009 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  32. ^ "SA vs IND, India tour of South Africa 2010/11, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 29, 2010 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  33. ^ "SA vs SL, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2011/12, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 29, 2011 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  34. ^ "SA vs IND, India tour of South Africa 2013/14, 2nd Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2013 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  35. ^ "SA vs WI, West Indies tour of South Africa 2014/15, 2nd Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 30, 2014 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  36. ^ "SA vs ENG, England tour of South Africa 2015/16, 1st Test at Durban, December 26 - 30, 2015 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  37. ^ "SA vs SL, Sri Lanka tour of South Africa 2016/17, 1st Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 30, 2016 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  38. ^ "SA vs ZIM, ZIM in SA Dec 2017 2017/18, Only Test at Gqeberha, December 26 - 27, 2017 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  39. ^ "SA vs PAK, PAK in SA 2018/19, 1st Test at Centurion, December 26 - 28, 2018 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  40. ^ "SA vs ENG, ICC World Test Championship 2019-2021, 1st Test at Centurion, December 26 - 29, 2019 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  41. ^ "Test captain candidate Markram offers some insight into his thinking". www.dailyvoice.co.za.
  42. ^ "SA vs SL, Sri Lanka in SA 2020/21, 1st Test at Centurion, December 26 - 29, 2020 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  43. ^ "SA vs IND, India in South Africa 2021/22, 1st Test at Centurion, December 26 - 30, 2021 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  44. ^ "I'll KO Kohli: Olivier up for Boxing Day fight". www.dailyvoice.co.za.
  45. ^ "SA vs IND, India in South Africa 2023/24, 1st Test at Centurion, December 26 - 28, 2023 - Full Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo.
  46. ^ Tshwaku, Khanyiso. "The Rabada and Rahul show: Proper Boxing Day Test cricket vibes hit Centurion". Sport.