36 wickets in 2 days: ICC rates MCG pitch 'unsatisfactory'; hands Ashes venue one demerit point

NEW DELHI: The ICC on Monday rated the pitch used for the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as unsatisfactory, handing the venue one demerit point after match referee Jeff Crowe ruled that it was “too much in favour of the bowlers”.




The Test, which England won by four wickets, was completed inside two days, with as many as 20 wickets falling on the opening day alone.




"The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the venue for the fourth Ashes Test, has been deemed 'Unsatisfactory' with the venue handed one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process," the ICC said in a statement.


Under ICC regulations, accumulation of six demerit points can result in a venue being banned from hosting international matches for a period of 12 months.


Explaining his assessment, Crowe highlighted the excessive assistance provided to bowlers throughout the match.


"The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was 'Unsatisfactory' as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point," he stated.


The surface came in for strong criticism from several quarters, with England captain Ben Stokes saying it was not great for the game, while Cricket Australia termed it bad for business.


In total, 36 wickets fell across just 142 overs, with no batter managing to score a half-century in the match.


Despite England registering their first Test win in Australia since 2011, Australia had already retained the Ashes after winning the first three Tests to secure an unassailable 3–0 lead in the series.


The fifth and final Test will be played in Sydney, starting January 4.