The traditional Boxing Day Test, 26 December 2011, when Australia plays arch rivals India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will once again be the biggest match of the year.
The Boxing Day Test, the opening match in the four-match Vodafone Test Series, will be a thrilling game against a very strong Indian side which includes a stellar line-up of modern-day cricket legends including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag.
The Australia-India rivalry is amongst the most passionate in world cricket and although India has never won a test series in Australia, they have dominated recent matches, with five victories from the teams’ last eight matches.
It is a tradition in Melbourne for families and friends to relax at the cricket after enjoying Christmas festivities. Cricket fans pack a picnic to enjoy at the MCG while watching the Doosras, Googlies, Yorkers and Flippers.
There are also a number of activities in and around the MCG to keep fans entertained in particular ‘The Outfield’ precinct which will provide interactive cricket displays for families in Yarra Park.
Test cricket was first played on Boxing Day at the MCG in 1950 but it wasn’t until 1980 that the match became a regular fixture on the cricket calendar. It has been played every year since 1980 with the exception of 1989, when a one-day international was played in its place.
The Test is most attended match in world cricket. The record attendance for a single day is 89,155 (2006-07 Australia v England) while the record attendance across an entire match is 244,351in that same match.
Australia and India will also kick off the Melbourne Cricket Weekend with a Twenty20 International under lights at the MCG on Friday 3 February 2012. The last match between the teams in early 2008 drew a record Twenty20 crowd of 84,041 to the MCG and this clash is set to be another blockbuster. Twenty20 is the shortest form of cricket comprising two action-packed innings of a maximum of 20 overs per side.
The Melbourne Cricket Weekend consists of a Twenty20 International on Friday and the opening one-day match of the Commonwealth Bank Series (ODI) on the Sunday 5 February 2012. These matches are a chance for fans to watch two great international matches; the perfect start to the limited overs part of the international cricket season.
Victoria receives significant visitor dollars from the cricket season as large number of visitors flock to Australia’s home of cricket in Melbourne. In 2011, Victoria welcomed 23,954 overseas visitors to Melbourne for the 2011 Boxing Day series and another 4,859 overseas visitors came to the Twenty20.
Overseas visitors who came specifically for Boxing Day Test and the Twenty20 stayed an average of nine nights and spent $1,655 per person.
The MCG is also home to The National Sports Museum, home to Australia's finest collection of sporting heritage, and should cricket fans find themselves with a spare afternoon in Melbourne, it is here where they can learn about why Melbourne is Australia’s sporting capital and one of the world leaders in sports events.
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