Thirty-six wickets in six sessions, a two-day finish, and a Boxing Day Test that ended before most fans had even warmed up to the game, the MCG surface for the fourth Ashes Test has triggered an uncomfortable postscript for Australian cricket, even as England celebrated a landmark win.
England chased down the target to win by four wickets in the evening session of day two, sealing their first Test victory in Australia since 2011. Cricket Australia estimates the early finish will cost the organisation around A$10m in lost revenue, a rare financial sting for what is usually the series’ showpiece fixture.
Even England captain Ben Stokes, speaking after the win, acknowledged the scrutiny the pitch would attract beyond Melbourne, saying people would raise “hell” if the surface had been produced elsewhere in the world.
With criticism swirling around the extreme movement and the rapid collapse of the context, MCG curator Matt Page took the unusual step of speaking after the match, a role typically kept low-profile once the game begins. Page admitted the match had left him rattled.
“I’ve never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully I’m not invited in a Test match like it again,” he said.
Page conceded the surface did not behave as intended, even if he pointed to the drama produced. “We know this hasn’t gone as we planned. We will look at what we need to do to improve.”
The opening day was an immediate flashpoint, with 20 wickets falling, the most on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, and Page said the scale of it was hard to process in real time. “I was in a state of shock after the first day,” said Page. “We’re obviously disappointed it’s gone in two days.”
Trying to balance the competing demands of spectacle and a five-day contest, Page framed the match as gripping but incomplete. “We produced a Test that was captivating, but it hasn’t gone long enough. We’ll learn from that and make sure we get it right next year,” said Page.
Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox backed Page publicly, while accepting the optics of a two-day Test at the MCG were grim for fans and broadcasters. “We’re obviously disappointed the Test has finished in two days,” said Fox. “We didn’t plan for this, and we didn’t want this to happen. It’s a challenging time for us.”
Fox also underscored the cricketing imbalance created by the surface. “This pitch has clearly favoured the bowlers and hasn’t given the batters a good opportunity to get set. What it demonstrates is the fine margin Matt and his team are dealing with.”
With day three tickets already sold and almost 190,000 spectators attending across the first two days, Fox revealed contingency talks were floated to salvage value for ticket-holders. “There were alternatives discussed,” he said. “There was talk of players coming out and having a hit, but that didn’t get up.”
