Boxing Day test set to return at new venue

Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval is in line to host a Boxing Day cricket test against Pakistan for the first time with the Black Caps' summer schedule to be revealed today.

The New Zealand Cricket schedule for both the Black Caps and White Ferns will be announced at 11am.

The Black Caps will face Pakistan and the West Indies with the tourists, as well as the New Zealanders returning from the Indian Premier League in November, expected to quarantine in Queenstown or Christchurch.

Last summer the Black Caps played in Australia's traditional Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the previous year New Zealand hosted one for the first time since 2014 against Sri Lanka.

The Basin Reserve, which has previously hosted five Boxing Day tests, looks set to hold a test against the West Indies before Christmas while Christchurch's Hagley Oval and Hamilton's Seddon Park are also candidates to host men in white.

The Black Caps haven't played since the ODI series in Australia was abandoned in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Their last test match was on March 2 when they wrapped up a series win over India.

The White Ferns are currently playing Australia in a Twenty20 series which finishes tomorrow.

Boxing Day cricket schedule since 2006
2006 - T20 v Sri Lanka, Auckland
2007 - ODI v Bangladesh, Auckland
2008 - T20 v West Indies, Auckland
2010 - T20 v Pakistan, Auckland
2012 - T20 v South Africa, Port Elizabeth
2013 - ODI v West Indies, Auckland
2014 - Test v Sri Lanka, Christchurch
2015 - ODI v Sri Lanka, Christchurch
2016 - ODI v Bangladesh, Christchurch
2017 - ODI v West Indies, Christchurch
2018 - Test v Sri Lanka, Christchurch
2019 - Test v Australia, Melbourne

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission