Test Season

Cricket fans in the US have been feeding on a steady diet of T20 for months. The IPL and PSL in the spring gave way to Major League Cricket and Minor League Cricket this summer and then the CPL this fall. Finally, though, fans can sink their teeth into some deeper play as we're about to embark on a busy international Test schedule that'll take us into the new year and let us see if England can finally grab a W in Australia and if the West Indies can show New Zealand the same form that toppled the Aussies in a Test last January. And despite the fact that the action will take place half-way around the world, because of time differences, the majority of matches will be in very viewer-friendly prime time for those in the States.

The Ashes kicks off here on Thursday (Friday in Australia). England not only hasn't won the Ashes in Australia since the 2010-11 series, they haven't even taken a single Test down under in that time. Look for one of England's fastest bowling attacks in years to try to change that. Meanwhile, Australia looks to maintain the Ashes bragging rights they've held since 2018.

 

The Ashes -- England in Australia -- US Dates and Starting Times

1st Test, Perth -- November 20 - 24 -- 9:30 pm EST

2nd Test, Brisbane -- December 3 - 7 -- 11:30 pm EST

3rd Test, Adelaide -- December 16 - 20 -- 7:00 pm EST

4th Test, Melbourne -- December 25 - 29 -- 6:30 pm EST

5th Test, Sydney -- January 3 - 7 -- 6:30 pm EST

 

For fans on the East Coast, it doesn't get any better than Test cricket from New Zealand. Play starts at 5:00 pm and wraps up by 1:00 am. Daytime Test cricket from the West Indies is amazing, but it can be tough to watch if you have to work. With evening NZ starts, not only can you watch without having to pretend you're doing your actual pay-the-bills job, but you can also have a bunch of beer while you're doing it -- something that may be frowned upon at your pay-the-bills job.

The West Indies, once the most feared Test squad on the planet, have fallen on tough times. But the last time they were on the other side of the world, they stunned Australia at The Gabba and left the Southern Hemisphere with a draw for the series. New Zealand, yet to play in this round of the Test Championship, will be looking to start their quest for the 2025/2027 Championship with a strong showing at home.

 

West Indies in New Zealand -- US Dates and Starting Times

1st Test, Christchurch -- December 1- 5 -- 5:00 pm EST

2nd Test, Wellington -- December 9 - 13 -- 5:00 pm EST

3rd Test, Mount Maunganui -- December 17 - 21 -- 5:00 pm EST

 

Not sure where you're living, but here in Boston it's not only getting cold, it's also getting dark. This week, the sun was back in the pavilion by about 4:15 every day. If you're like me -- and there's literally no reason why you shouldn't be -- the only thing that'll make the next few months of cold and dark tolerable is to be able to spend them watching a whole bunch of hours of the top teams in the world in the longest format of the game.

Or at least zoning out while staring at screen full of sunshine, blue skies, and green grass.

Look for the Ashes on Willow and the West Indies in New Zealand on ESPN-plus.