- ICC hands MCG one demerit point after Test ends inside two days
- Match referee says pitch favoured bowlers excessively
- 36 wickets fell in 142 overs with no fifty scored
- England win first Test in Australia since 2011
The ICC has rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground surface for the Boxing Day Ashes Test as “unsatisfactory”, handing the venue one demerit point after the match ended inside two dramatic days. ICC match referee Jeff Crowe said the pitch heavily favoured the bowlers, with 20 wickets falling on day one and 16 more on day two, and not a single batter managing a half-century.
England won the fourth Test by four wickets, despite being bowled out for 110 in their first innings. Josh Tongue starred with 5 for 45 as Australia were dismissed for 152, before the hosts posted 132 second time around thanks to Travis Head’s 46, the highest score of the match. England chased down 175 in 32.2 overs to end a 14-year wait for a Test win on Australian soil.
Crowe said the pitch fell well short of expected standards, noting that the lack of balance between bat and ball breached ICC guidelines. The MCG had received a “very good” rating for each of the past three Boxing Day Tests, making this verdict a significant setback for the venue.
Cricket Australia chief James Allsopp admitted disappointment for fans who lost play on days three and four but backed the MCG ground staff to respond strongly. MCG curator Matt Page said he was left “in shock” after 36 wickets fell in just 142 overs, with scrutiny focusing on the 10mm of grass left on the surface due to a hot forecast.
Despite the defeat, Australia have already retained the Ashes 3-1, with the final Test set for Sydney from January 4. The two-day finish is expected to cost Cricket Australia millions in lost revenue, while debate continues over whether curators should receive more direction in future.
