The MCG pitch where England beat Australia inside two days in the fourth Ashes Test has been rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by the International Cricket Council.
Head curator Matthew Page admitted he was in a “state of shock” at how the penultimate match of the series unfolded on a surface that had 10mm grass left on, producing lavish movement for seam bowlers.
Despite England’s four-wicket win, captain Ben Stokes felt there would be “hell on” if the Melbourne pitch was produced elsewhere in the world, and the ICC has handed down its second-lowest rating.
Match referee Jeff Crowe said: “The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point.”
Pitches are rated either ‘very good’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘unsatisfactory’ or ‘unfit’. If a ground receives six demerit points over a rolling five-year period, it will be hit with a 12-month ban from staging international matches.
While the first Test at Perth last month also produced a two-day finish, with Australia drawing first blood in the five-match series, the pitch there received the ICC’s highest rating of ‘very good’.
Head curator Matthew Page, centre right, expressed his shock at the way the wicket played as he addressed media on what should have been the third day of the Test. Photograph: James Ross/EPA
England’s consolation win, which leaves them trailing 3-1 with only the final Test in Sydney to go, is set to financially impact Cricket Australia, reportedly to the tune of around £5million.
A sell-out crowd of over 90,000 was due for day three and the lack of play on Sunday will mean an avalanche of refunds as well as lost sales in merchandise, food and drinks.
