State of Shock: MCG Curator Reacts to Two-Day Ashes Test
The MCG curator admits shock after 36 wickets fell in just two days. The Ashes pitch controversy sparks debate after England’s historic win.
Melbourne Cricket Ground head curator Matthew Page said he was "shocked" by England's two-day victory over Australia in the Boxing Day Test.
Page and his team had left 10mm of grass on the pitch for the fourth Ashes Test, which saw thirty-six wickets fall in six sessions.
Following the first match in Perth, England secured a four-wicket victory in the evening session of the second day, making it the second two-day finish of the series. It was England's first Test win in Australia since 2011.
Cricket Australia (CA) estimates that the early finish will cost the organization approximately A$10 million (£4.97m) in lost revenue.
Despite his team's victory, England captain Ben Stokes said that if the Melbourne pitch had been prepared anywhere else in the world, people would have been "up in arms".
Pitch curators or groundsmen often speak to the media before Tests in Australia, but Page took the unusual step of speaking on Sunday after the Test finished at the MCG.
"I've never been involved in a Test match like that and hopefully I'll never be involved in a Test match like that again," he said.
"We know it didn't go to plan. We'll look at what we need to do to improve."
Before the Test, Australia's acting captain Steve Smith had said the pitch was "hairy and green" and that batsmen would have to be "on top of their game".
Twenty wickets fell on the first day, the most on the opening day of an Ashes Test since 1909.
"I was shocked after day one," Page said. "We're certainly disappointed that it finished in two days.
"We produced a Test that was exciting, but it didn't last long enough. We'll learn from this and make sure we get it right next year."
This isn't the first time the Melbourne pitch has been criticized for an Ashes Test. In the 2017 drawn match, the pitch offered insufficient assistance to the bowlers, resulting in a dull contest.
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Only 24 wickets fell throughout the entire match, while England's Alastair Cook scored an unbeaten 244.
Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox explained that the pitches have been reviewed since then, and Page provided information about the pitches used in recent Test matches.
Some MCG pitches had more than 10mm of grass for this year's match, while last year's match between Australia and India was played on a pitch with 7mm of grass and lasted until the fifth day.
This year, Page opted for 10mm of grass because of the forecast for hot weather during the latter stages of the Test. A temperature of 32C is forecast for Monday, the fourth day.
Almost 190,000 spectators were present at the MCG over the first two days, with all tickets sold out for the third day as well. The all-time Ashes attendance record was expected to be broken.
CA is not insured against the loss of revenue from this Test. The A$10m figure is significant, but it doesn't have a huge impact on the estimated A$600m revenue for the financial year.
Fox explained that there were discussions about the players returning for an exhibition match on the third day to appease ticket holders and broadcasters. It is understood that those discussions did not progress far enough to be raised with the England team.
"Options were discussed," he said. "There was talk of the players coming out and playing, but that didn't eventuate."
Fox said he has "complete confidence" in Page and believes he is one of Australia's best groundsmen.
"We are certainly disappointed that the Test finished in two days," Fox said. "We didn't plan for this and we didn't want this to happen. It's a challenging time for us." "This pitch has clearly been good for the bowlers, and the batsmen haven't had much of a chance to get set. This shows how challenging the conditions have been for Matt and his team.
"We understand the impact this has had on the fans and Cricket Australia. I have complete confidence in Matt and his team."
Fox also confirmed that the perishable food items that would have been used during the Boxing Day Test will be donated to a local charity.
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