• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2022

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Bookies
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
      • Top Jockeys
      • Amateur Races
    • Grand National
      • Picking a Winner
      • Grand National Winners
      • Grand National Fences
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • Prize Money
      • Virtual Grand National
      • Grand National Sponsors
      • Reserve Horses
      • How Many Finish
      • How Many Run
      • Grey Horses
      • Popularity
      • Amateur Jockeys
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

Could Climate Change Bring An End to the Classic Boxing Day Cricket Test Match?

27 December, 2019

Hot Sun and Dead TreeFor many things in life, there are the believers and the sceptics.

Whether you believe in the ravages of climate change or not, the fact is that the average yearly temperatures in all of the main cricket playing countries are on the rise. That is indisputable.

Such is the increase in temperatures in some nations, sporting contests are being affected by the need to protect the welfare of the athletes and horses involved – be it from the heat or a range of related factors.

One of the most prominent sporting fixtures annually is the Boxing Day test match, which takes place in southern hemisphere countries around the world.

And global warming is becoming a major factor in potentially derailing this classic cricketing tradition.

Aussie Festive ‘Pom Bashing’ in Danger

Australian Outback

One of the countries where the Boxing Day test is an annual pilgrimage is in Australia, where the Aussies take on a range of high quality opponents including – during Ashes years – England.

But this classic sporting warfare could be in danger according to a report from the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, which has found that climate change has already impacted upon sport in the country.

The investigation revealed that matches at all levels are being cancelled due to extreme heat and related events, such as the major bushfires which caused the abandonment of a Big Bash match in Canberra due to the dangers of smoke inhalation.

Thick bushfire smoke blankets Canberra, forcing Big Bash match to be called off https://t.co/UaL8acX9on

— ABC Canberra (@abccanberra) 21 December 2019

In Sydney, smoke levels saw eleven times above the norm experienced, which not only impacts upon physical health but also visibility – a major problem for players and match officials, and hardly proving to be a party for spectators either. Paramedics have already been called to more than one game in the city.

According to ICC regulations, officials can stop play due to smoke in much the same way they can for rain or the threat of lighting – a power that could be called upon in the Australia vs New Zealand test of January 3.

Meanwhile Melbourne, a regular host of the Boxing Day test at the legendary MCG stadium, is one of the cities most likely to be impacted by the climate crisis.

The state capital of Victoria witnessed New Zealand, who toured Australia at the tail-end of 2019, play a warm-up game in the area. The first day of that fixture was cancelled when temperatures reached 43.5°C.

As Australian temperatures continue to soar, New Zealand have cancelled a day’s play against Victoria with Tom Latham likening the weather to standing under a heat-pump! #AUSvNZ https://t.co/NJi235k4h4

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) 20 December 2019

The report also reveals that some parts of the country have witnessed average daytime temperatures in December and January increase by as much as 2.7°C in the past four decades, with nearly six more January days on average recording temperatures of 38°C or hotter than in 1980.

To conclude, the investigation found that if climate change cannot be halted, players and spectators at the Boxing Day test will be exposed to levels of heat never experienced before.

In an Ashes test match back in January 2018, England captain Joe Root was hospitalised with severe dehydration amid temperatures of 42°C, and that led former Aussie player Dean Jones to say that normal workplace regulations should apply in such situations with games called off where the mercury peaks too high.

The science backs up the argument too, with extreme heat ‘disrupting’ the body’s normal thermoregulation to cause muscle cramps – which can lead to tears and strains, while profuse sweating can lead to dehydration and fatigue.

In 2019 alone, two of the test cricket playing nations have experienced their hottest ever day, with Australia breaking its own average temperature twice in the space of 24 hours.

Southern Hemisphere Test Team’s Record Temperatures

Country Temp (°C) Date
South Africa 50.4 November 30, 2019
New Zealand 42.4 February 7, 1973
Australia 41.9 December 18, 2019
New Zealand 41.3 February 6, 2011
Australia 40.9 December 17, 2019
Australia 40.3 January 7, 2013

In the Middle of the Night

Day and Night Transition in New Zealand

In the past couple of years the ICC has been trialling the concept of day/night test matches, primarily as a way of increasing attendances by letting in punters after school or work at a reduced rate.

But now, the format may have to be rolled out in the hottest countries of the world simply as a necessity.

The Monash report suggests this is an option that may solve one problem while causing others. ‘Moving the event isn’t the only option, but alternatives come with their own risks. Because radiant heat is a significant factor in heat stress, night Tests could lower the heat stress risk to players and others, but there may be logistical, cultural or safety challenges involved in this.’

Cricket Australia has acknowledged the investigation and reaffirmed its commitment to ‘players’ and officials’ health at all levels of cricket’, while noting a need to address the impact of climate change.

However, the maintained that they want cricket to be played on December 26 ‘for many years to come’.

The environmental impacts are clear for all to see, with cricket clubs at all levels using tonnes of water each and every week to prepare pitches and ensure they remain free from cracks and wearing that can prove to be incredibly dangerous to the players.

Previous Post: « Racism in Football: Does the UEFA Protocol Go Far Enough as a Punishment?
Next Post: Great Sporting Stars Who Never Gave Up »

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Rugby Player Being Tackled
What Is a High Tackle In Rugby and How are the Rules Changing?
Football with Blank White Cards
What Is a White Card In Football?
Football Manager Holding Up Tactics Board
Do Football Clubs Always Improve When Appointing a New Manager?
Man in Suit Holding Traditional Football Under Arm
Who Is the Greatest Football Manager of All Time?
Anfield Gates
Is 2022/23 Liverpool's Worst Ever Premier League Season?
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Betting Sign Up Offers

  • Free Bets
    • Bet £5 Get £20/£30+
    • Bet £10 Get £30/£40+
    • Casino Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Free Spins

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • Grand National Winners
    • Grand National Fences
    • Prize Money
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • What Is the Virtual Grand National?
    • Grand National Sponsors
    • Reserve Horses
    • How Many Horses Finish?
    • How Many Horses Run?
    • Most Successful Owners
    • Changes Over Time
    • Female Jockeys
    • Grey Horses in the Grand National
    • Amateur Jockeys
    • Popularity
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
    • Top Jockeys
    • Amateur Races
  • Premier League
    • Without the Big Six?
  • Irish Lottery

Related Posts

  • Do the Best Cricketers in the World Play Too Much?
  • What are the Strangest Dismissals in Cricket?
  • What are the Highest Innings Scores in Cricket History?
  • Who is the Best England Cricket Captain Of All Time?
  • How Often Does the Ashes End in a Whitewash Win?
  • Is Joe Root the Greatest English Cricket Batsman of All Time?
  • The Hundred: Everything We Know So Far About Cricket’s Bold New Format
  • Cricket in the USA: The History, Format and Future of the Game in America
  • The Duckworth-Lewis Method: What Is It and Why Is It So Controversial?
  • Could Climate Change Bring An End to the Classic Boxing Day Cricket Test Match?

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis
betting-sites.co.uk
gambling-sites.co.uk

Copyright © 2023 Betting-Offers.com | BeGambleAware.org 18+