Antipodean cricket rivals Australia and New Zealand both go into this three match Test series in scintillating form. The Aussie are fresh off crushing T20 and Test series victories over Pakistan, while the Kiwis claimed a Test series win during England’s tour earlier this month.
You can watch all the action in this battle for local bragging rights as it happens – no matter where you are in the world – with our Australia vs New Zealand live stream cricket guide.
Australia vs New Zealand Test series – where and when
The three-match Test series takes place at a brace of different cricketing venues throughout the festive period and into the new year.
1st Test – December 12-15 (Optus Stadium, Perth), 1pm AWST local time start (4pm AEDT, 5am GMT)
2nd Test – December 25-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne), 11am AEDT local time start (12am GMT)
3rd Test – January 2-7 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney), 11am AEDT local time start (12am GMT)
This first match of the series takes place at the ultra-modern Perth Stadium and marks the first time that the state-of-the-art Western Australian ground has hosted day-night Test cricket.
The last time the two sides met in a Test series was back in February 2016 in New Zealand, when a 2-0 win saw the Aussies reclaim their world No.1 ranking. And with 120 World Test Championship points up for the series, it means there’s 40 points up for grabs in each Test (with a draw worth 13) and both sides will be looking to gain ground on leaders India.
The hosts have named an unchanged squad for this match from the side that dominated proceedings against Pakistan, with Cameron Bancroft, James Pattinson and James Neser all included in the 13-man line-up.
Both Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme were ruled out of the final Test for the Kiwis against England but the pair both look set to be declared fit to play in Perth.
It’s set to be a fascinating series opener with both sides in good form. So follow the instructions below to watch all of the action where we’ll tell you how to grab an Australia vs New Zealand live stream from pretty much anywhere on Earth.
Watch a cricket live stream when away from your country
If you’re a cricket fan in Australia, New Zealand or the UK and you’re looking to find out how to watch the action, we’ve got all the details about the broadcasters with the rights to show the Test series in your region below.
If you’re away from home country and looking to see the action you’ll likely to find you won’t be able to thanks to geo-blocking. Thankfully there’s a way to alleviate that frustration. By using a VPN you’ll be able to watch the game without having to resort to watching via an illegal feed from a dodgy website you’ve discovered on Reddit.
We’ve put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our pick of what’s out there, thanks to it’s ease of use and strong security features. It’s also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles. So to get that home broadcast and stay safer online, ExpressVPN is our recommended option.
This is the #1 rated best VPN in the world right now, with those previously mentioned levels of security, speed and compatibility putting it to the top of the list. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get 3 months absolutely FREE.
Once you’ve chosen and installed your VPN of choice, simply open the service’s corresponding app, hit ‘choose location’, select the appropriate country and you’ll be able to watch the broadcast as if you were back at home.
How to watch the Aussies in Australia for FREE
The great news for those wanting to watch the action in Australia is that the entire series will be shown fee-to-air via Channel 7, with Ricky Ponting and Damien Fleming leading their commentary team. The bad news is that they don’t have broadcast rights to show the action live via the 7Plus online platform.
If you were hoping to watch online, fans with a subscription to Foxtel can watch via a broadcast on the dedicated Fox Cricket channel, which will also be offering the action in 4K.
Along with Foxtel Now, Kayo Sports has the live streaming rights to the series in Australia. The service features no lock-in contracts and also includes access to over 50 sports, both live and on demand.
Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month and allows users to stream across two devices simultaneously. Alternatively, the service also offers a Kayo Sports Premium Package, which provides three concurrent streams for $35 per month. If you’re new to the service however, you can take advantage of a 14-day free trial
The Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports apps means you can access this from your chosen device wherever you are (although you’ll need a VPN if you’re taking that abroad).
How to watch the Black Caps in New Zealand
Sky has snapped up exclusive rights to show the series in NZ.
Coverage starts on Sky Sport 2 on Thursday at 5pm NZTDT.
If you’re looking to watch on the go on a mobile device, you’ll need to use the Sky Go app.
And if you’re overseas then the VPN method as mentioned above is the best way to go.
How to stream Australia vs New Zealand live in the UK
BT Sport has exclusive live broadcast rights to this festive cricket series in the UK. The first Test will be broadcast live on BT Sport 3, with coverage starting on Thursday at 4.45am
If you’re looking to stream the match, the BT Sport app or BTSport.com is where you need to go, enabling mobile, tablet and PC viewing.
If you find yourself outside the UK and want to watch one the Australia vs New Zealand Test Series, don’t worry about geo-blocks on your account – simply grab a VPN and follow the instructions above to live stream the action.
How to watch Australia vs New Zealand play cricket in India
In India, Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has the live rights to the Australia vs New Zealand series.
The channel to head to for all the action from Perth is Sony Six, with coverage set to kick off at 10.30am New Delhi time on Thursday morning.
SPN’s coverage will stretch across both TV and it’s over-the-top service SonyLIV.
