Black Caps to play Australia in historic Melbourne Cricket Ground Boxing Day Test in 2019

The Black Caps will face Australia in a Boxing Day Test at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground next year as part of a Future Tours Programme that sees New Zealand play England, Australia and India in a historic summer.

The historic MCG fixture will be the first time the Black Caps will have played in one of Test cricket’s marquee fixtures in 32 years.

Their last Boxing Day appearance at the MCG came in 1987 when the Black Caps came agonisingly close to victory, only to be denied by a last-wicket partnership between Craig McDermott and Mike Whitney, who secured a nail-biting draw.

New Zealand have only played three Tests at the MCG, losing by an innings in 1973-74 in a match that started on December 29, and drawing the 1980 Boxing Day Test.

Before the historic three-Test, three ODI tour of Australia, the Black Caps will host England for two Tests and five T20s in October and November next year.

When they return from Australia they will face India at home in two Tests, three ODIs and five T20s in February-March 2020.

In October and November this year, the Black Caps face Pakistan away in three games in each format before hosting Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh - although they won’t play any Tests against India.

They will face Sri Lanka away in two Tests and three T20s.

The programme culminates with the ICC Test Championship final in England in June 2021.