MCG curator in ‘state of shock’ after Ashes Test carnage

MELBOURNE: Melbourne Cricket Ground chief curator Matt Page said on Sunday he was in a “state of shock” watching the carnage unfold during the two-day fourth Ashes Test that left Cricket Australia facing a multimillion-dollar revenue shortfall.

Page and his team left 10mm of grass in the crease, giving fast bowlers excessive seam movement and bounce that made hitting treacherous.

Thirty-six wickets fell in 142 overs, 20 on the first day, and the game was over on the evening of the second day as England won by four wickets for their first win in Australia since January 2011.

More than 90,000 fans were expected for the third day and many more for the fourth and fifth days.

But with ticket sales for those days set to return, Cricket Australia faces another big financial hit after the Ashes series opener in Perth also in two days’ time.

It is the first time the same series has had multiple two-day Tests in 129 years, dating back to the time when wickets were left uncovered by the weather.

“I was in shock,” Paige said.

“I’ve never been in a test match like this and I hope never to be in a test match like this again.

“We know this didn’t go as planned. We’ll look at what we need to do to improve.”

A year ago, the grass on the pitch was shaved down to seven millimeters and it made for a thrilling Test that went down to the final session on day five as Australia beat India.

Page said the cool and wet weather leading into this year’s test combined with the forecast heat on days three and four meant he had to take a different approach.

say “a joke”

“We are trying to balance that match between bat and ball throughout the four or five days to provide that exciting test for everyone,” he said.

“We left it longer because we knew we were going to have (warm) weather on the back end that we knew we needed our grass (for).”

International Cricket Council umpire Jeff Crowe is yet to give his assessment of the pitch, considering whether to give it an “unsatisfactory” rating that would see the pitch slapped with a demerit point.

England captain Ben Stokes and his Australian counterpart Steve Smith were both critical of the surface, as were a number of former greats.

“To be brutally honest, it’s not really what you want,” Stokes said.

“The Boxing Day Test match, you don’t want a game over in less than two days. It’s not ideal.”

Smith said: “It was tough. Nobody could really get in. When you see 36 wickets in two days, that’s probably too much.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan called the pitch “a joke”.

“This sells the game short, the players, the broadcasters and most of all the fans,” he said.

Despite the controversy, MCG chief executive Stuart Fox backed Page and his ground staff to continue.

“We bought Matt eight years ago because he’s considered one of the best in the country, if not the best,” Fox said.

“I still believe it and I always will.

“You can see he’s frustrated. He carries that responsibility and my job as a leader is to support people.

“When you believe in your people, you root for them and you support them and I know he will respond.”