- The Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch, which hosted a dramatic two-day Ashes Test where England beat Australia, has been officially rated “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
- Match referee Jeff Crowe stated the pitch was overly favourable to bowlers, with 20 wickets falling on day one and 16 on day two, and no batter managing to score a half-century.
- Head curator Matthew Page expressed his “state of shock” at the swift conclusion, while England captain Ben Stokes and former skipper Michael Vaughan criticised the pitch conditions.
- The “unsatisfactory” rating incurs one demerit point for the venue, and Cricket Australia faces an estimated £5 million loss due to refunds and lost revenue from the match ending prematurely.
- This ruling contrasts with a previous two-day Test in Perth last month that received a “very good” rating, as England now prepare for the final Test in Sydney, trailing 3-1 in the series.
IN FULL