Ashes 2025, 4th Test: MCG Pitch Rated 'Unsatisfactory' by ICC After 2-Day Contest in Melbourne

The ICC rated the MCG pitch “unsatisfactory” after the fourth Ashes Test ended in two days. The seam-friendly surface favoured bowlers too much, with 36 wickets falling and no batter scoring a fifty, earning the venue one demerit point.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground’s seam-friendly pitch for the fourth Ashes Test was rated “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council on Monday after the match ended inside two days.

Under the ICC’s four-tier pitch rating system, “unsatisfactory” is the second-lowest grade and is used for surfaces deemed to be favouring bowlers excessively. The rating ended the MCG’s run of “very good” assessments for the past three Boxing Day Tests and resulted in the venue receiving one demerit point.

“The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers,” said match referee Jeff Crowe. “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.”

Pitch Surface Receives ‘Very Good’ Despite 2-Day Contest

England defeated Australia by four wickets in the final session of day two, with no batter scoring more than 46 runs across the four innings. While the first Test in Perth also finished inside two days, that surface was rated “very good” by the ICC.

MCG curator Matt Page and his team had left 10 millimetres (0.4 inches) of grass on the wicket, offering significant movement and bounce for seamers and making batting difficult throughout the match.

The early finish left Cricket Australia facing a revenue shortfall of approximately Aus$10 million (US$6.7 million), with refunds required for tickets sold for days three and four.

“We were disappointed for the fans holding tickets for days three and four, and also the millions of fans watching in Australia and around the world, that the pitch did not provide the MCG’s customary balance between bat and ball,” said Cricket Australia’s chief of cricket, James Allsopp. He added that the organisation appreciated the outstanding work done by MCG staff in producing excellent Test pitches in recent years.

Australia Coach Defends MCG Pitch Curator

Before the ICC’s decision, Australia coach Andrew McDonald defended Page and warned against interference in pitch preparation. He said Page had done an “outstanding” job over the years and suggested batters also needed to take responsibility for the lack of runs.

“The perspective I always use is that we have bad Test matches as well. This Test, we weren’t at our best and sometimes these things can happen,” McDonald said. “We support him in what he’s done and are really proud of the evolution of the MCG. He’s found a nice balance for a long period of time.”

Cricket Australia are set to conduct their own end-of-season review of Test wicket management. Chief executive Todd Greenberg has hinted that a more interventionist approach may be required, noting that shorter Tests are “bad for business”.

Opposition to External Interference

However, McDonald reiterated his opposition to external interference, emphasising that Australian curators traditionally operate independently of captains and Cricket Australia.

“I don’t want to get to a situation where we are asking for specific, tailor-made surfaces,” McDonald said. “I don’t think Australia will ever go there, and I don’t think they’ve ever been there, to my knowledge.”

Australia currently lead the Ashes series 3-1, with the fifth and final Test scheduled to begin in Sydney on Sunday.