The pitch for the two-day Ashes Test in Melbourne has been rated “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The decision meant a point was deducted from the MCG. If a venue is deducted six points within five years, it will be suspended from hosting international cricket matches for 12 months.
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It is the first time Australia has deemed a pitch substandard since the ICC overhauled its system two years ago.
In this exciting Boxing Day match, in which 36 wickets were taken in six games, there was too much seam movement from the pace bowlers.
“The pitch at the MCG was too bowler-friendly,” said match referee Jeff Crowe.
“After 20 wickets fell on the first day and 16 on the second day and no batsman reached a half-century, the pitch was ‘unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and one point was deducted from the pitch.”
The MCG’s chief curator, Matt Page, left 10mm of turf on the pitch to cope with the hot weather expected later in the game, but this was also cited as a reason for the lively atmosphere.
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Page said he was in a “state of shock” during the match, which England won by four wickets. Travis Head’s 46 in Australia’s second innings was the highest score.
The Boxing Day Test was the second two-day match of the Ashes series, but the surface in the other match – the first Test in Perth – was rated ‘very good’, suggesting batsman errors were more to blame there.
“Unsatisfactory” was the ICC’s second-lowest ranking for the pitch.
While this is the first time Australia has been rated unqualified under the current system, there have been problems at the MCG before.
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In the drawn match in 2017, the ground did not provide enough help to the bowlers, resulting in a dull match with only 24 wickets falling. This was rated “poor”.
A year later, the pitch on which India won was rated ‘average’.
Ahead of the ICC announcement, Australia coach Andrew McDonald defended Page, suggesting this year’s game should be viewed through the lens of efforts to improve upon in 2017.
“He’s done an outstanding job,” McDonald said.
“The argument I always use is that we [Australia] The Test matches were terrible too. We played poorly in the first Test match last summer.
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“Sometimes these things can happen but we support what he does and are very proud of how the MCG has developed.
“Hopefully people will understand where he’s been along the way and support him in the next challenge he faces.”
