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How to watch the 2022 Boxing Day Test in Australia

Santa’s greatest present will be getting unwrapped on December 26 – yes, for cricket fans, it really is! – as the Boxing Day test match gets underway in Melbourne. The South Africans have made the trip across the Indian Ocean to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where some of history’s most iconic cricket memories have been made. Read on to find out how you can watch this years’ instalment of the Boxing Day test match.

How can I watch the 2022 Boxing Day test match?

The South Africa vs Australia Boxing Day test match is available live and on-demand through both Foxtel and Kayo, as well as free-to-air on Channel 7 and 7Mate.

Fox Sports holds the exclusive rights to broadcast every Test match, One Day International, International T20, Big Bash game and Women’s matches, which means you can catch every ball of domestic and international cricket on Foxtel and Kayo both live and on-demand.

Stream Sports with Kayo

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Brand Subscription Type No. of Screens/same time viewing Advertised Cost^^/month
Kayo Logo

Kayo One Subscription

  • More than 15,000 hours of sport on-demand
  • Watch on 1 screen at the same time
  • 7-day free trial

min. cost $25 over 1 month

1No. of Screens /same time viewing $25Advertised Cost/month Go To Site
Kayo Logo

Basic Subscription

  • More than 15,000 hours of sport on-demand
  • Watch on 2 screens at the same time
  • 7-day free trial

min. cost $30 over 1 month

2No. of Screens /same time viewing $30Advertised Cost/month Go To Site
Kayo Logo

Premium Subscription

  • More than 15,000 hours of sport on-demand
  • Watch on 3 screens at the same time
  • 7-day free trial

min. cost $35 over 1 month

3No. of Screens /same time viewing $35
Advertised Cost/month
Go To Site

When does the Boxing Day test match start?

If you’ve been following along at home, you’ll have figured out that the Boxing Day test starts on Boxing Day, and holds the possibility of lasting all five days through to the end of the year. 

The match will start at 10:30am AEDT, according to the Melbourne Cricket Ground website, meaning a 9:30am start-time for Queensland viewers. Typically the day of cricket wraps up around 5:30pm AEDT (4:30pm AEST), however this can change due to rain and other factors.

Why is the Boxing Day test match an Aussie tradition?

Test cricket has been played in Australia on Boxing Day since the 1800s. International teams would visit Australia to take on the Australian cricket team. According to itsonlycricket.com, test cricket was first played on Boxing Day in Australia during the 1950-51 Ashes against England, which saw the Melbourne test held between December 22 and 27.

It wasn’t until 1974, though, that a test was scheduled to actually start on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, again during an Ashes series, in order to fit in all six six tests. An Aussie tradition was born! In 1980, the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Australian cricket team secured the rights to make this an annual event. 

Photo Credits: cricket.com.au

Tom Fleming
Content Producer
Tom Fleming specialises in phone and internet but also covers a host of consumer-related topics - streaming in particular. Tom holds a Bachelor of Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology and has written for a host of local lifestyle publications such as The West End Magazine.

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