Matthew Page, head curator at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), was incredulous about England’s swift win. They won by an innings in two days in this year’s Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The match was roundly criticized for the state of the pitch. Most believed the surface played too much into the bowlers’ hands, making for a surprisingly brief match.
This is not the first time the MCG has come under fire for the quality of its pitch. Notably, during the 2017 Ashes series, a drawn match resulted in only 24 wickets falling across five days, with England’s Alastair Cook scoring an unbeaten 244. The lack of assistance for the bowlers in that match produced a one-sided, low-voltage affair. In response, Page and his team took to heart the need for improvement this year. Their solution, ahead of the fourth Ashes Test, was to cut 10mm of grass off the surface. They figured a sweltering day would level the playing field and make it a more competitive match-up.
The strategy backfired spectacularly. The game ended in two days with a historic 36 wickets falling in 6 sessions of play. On the very first day of play, twenty wickets tumbled. This is the most wickets to have ever fallen on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909.
“I was in a state of shock after the first day,” Page admitted. He further acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the match duration, stating, “We’re obviously disappointed it’s gone two days.” Page admitted that although the attempt led to a remarkable match, it didn’t hold up as long as expected.
“I’ve never been involved in a Test match like it and hopefully I’m not involved in a Test match like it again,” – Matthew Page
Cricket Australia will suffer major financial impact due to the premature conclusion. They project a revenue forgone, A$10 million (£4.97 million) at most. While this amount is significant, it does not make a dent on A$600 million anticipated revenue over the financial year.
Stuart Fox, CEO of Melbourne Cricket Club, who were in charge of the ground, defended the pitch, insisting it had helped bowlers too much. “This pitch has clearly favored the bowlers and hasn’t given the batters a good opportunity to get set,” he noted. Fox further empathized with the trials and tribulations endured by Page and his team, recognizing the “fine margins” that go into creating a pitch.
Steve Smith, Australia’s acting captain for the Test, called the pitch “furry and green.” He underscored that batters need to be extra watchful. Tellingly, this prediction came true—players found it difficult to get comfortable in their at bats.
Following these unfortunate circumstances, Page insisted that there would be takeaways to apply in the future. “We know this hasn’t gone as we planned. We will look at what we need to do to improve,” he explained.
Looking ahead, Page is optimistic that the coming matches will be more balanced between bat and ball. We created a Test that was engaging, but it’s just not lasted. We’re going to learn from that and do it right next year,” he wrapped up.
This two-day Test was witnessed by almost 190,000 fans at the MCG. This massive attendance demonstrates that Aussies have an extreme passion for cricket, even in a condensed format. Cricketing fans across the world are raving about this historic match. Looking ahead, all eyes are on pitch management to see how it will continue to develop in order to produce more exciting and sustainable contests moving forward.
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