Will 2009 see the death of the Boxing Day tradition?
November 30th 2009 02:58
In Melbourne, there are a few certainties come Christmas time.
Every year the streets will be decked out with decorations earlier and earlier; unless you have kids, you will completely avoid the Myer windows; and there is nothing better than recovering from the Christmas Day hangover than watching the start of the Boxing Day test.
But this year the annual tradition is under a lot of pressure, as the 2009 summer of cricket is looking to be an absolute disaster.
The summer officially began on Wednesday, as the first Test got underway at the Gabba between Australia and West Indies, but three days, three innings, and only 35,000 people later, it was all over.
The Test up at the Gabba is a very terrifying sign of what we can expect in the next few months, and one that could see the MCG mysteriously quiet at the end of December.
With West Indies and Pakistan our opponents during the summer, two teams that are not known for its Test prowess (ranked 8th and 6th in the world respectively), cricket fans know that there will not be a summer of action and adventure.
And the timing of a poor summer of Test cricket couldn’t come at a worst time, as Australian’s iron grip on the format is long gone, and sports fans around the world are stating as turning away from the five-day game.
But the main problem from that, and one that Australian fans have had to endure for an time, is the poor quality of the selection process since 2005, which has left our once proud team looking a mere shadow of its former self.
However if the Australian Cricket Council was serious about keeping the Test format around, and not having it go the way of the supposed death of the 50-over match (a travesty in my opinion for the “hit and giggle” 20/20 format) is making sure of the two teams coming down during the summer, at least one will deliver a quality series.
India, Sri Lanka, England, even New Zealand would be an improvement due to their strength in one-day matches, but with scheduling conflicts and the pressure of tournaments and playing throughout the year sees local supporters get the sharp end of the stick.
After a close (but absolute frustrating) tour of England, and an thrilling stop in India, it’s a shame that when it comes to see Australia playing at home, the quality of the sport will see the Boxing Day Test lose its appeal to Melbourne fans.
Every year the streets will be decked out with decorations earlier and earlier; unless you have kids, you will completely avoid the Myer windows; and there is nothing better than recovering from the Christmas Day hangover than watching the start of the Boxing Day test.
But this year the annual tradition is under a lot of pressure, as the 2009 summer of cricket is looking to be an absolute disaster.
The summer officially began on Wednesday, as the first Test got underway at the Gabba between Australia and West Indies, but three days, three innings, and only 35,000 people later, it was all over.
The Test up at the Gabba is a very terrifying sign of what we can expect in the next few months, and one that could see the MCG mysteriously quiet at the end of December.
With West Indies and Pakistan our opponents during the summer, two teams that are not known for its Test prowess (ranked 8th and 6th in the world respectively), cricket fans know that there will not be a summer of action and adventure.
And the timing of a poor summer of Test cricket couldn’t come at a worst time, as Australian’s iron grip on the format is long gone, and sports fans around the world are stating as turning away from the five-day game.
But the main problem from that, and one that Australian fans have had to endure for an time, is the poor quality of the selection process since 2005, which has left our once proud team looking a mere shadow of its former self.
However if the Australian Cricket Council was serious about keeping the Test format around, and not having it go the way of the supposed death of the 50-over match (a travesty in my opinion for the “hit and giggle” 20/20 format) is making sure of the two teams coming down during the summer, at least one will deliver a quality series.
India, Sri Lanka, England, even New Zealand would be an improvement due to their strength in one-day matches, but with scheduling conflicts and the pressure of tournaments and playing throughout the year sees local supporters get the sharp end of the stick.
After a close (but absolute frustrating) tour of England, and an thrilling stop in India, it’s a shame that when it comes to see Australia playing at home, the quality of the sport will see the Boxing Day Test lose its appeal to Melbourne fans.
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