Pitch for two-day Ashes test rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by ICC

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The pitch used for the fourth Ashes test that finished inside two days has been rated as “unsatisfactory” by cricket’s world governing body.

No batter scored a half-century and 36 wickets fell across six sessions at Melbourne Cricket Ground as England beat Australia by four wickets in just 142 overs of play.

“The MCG pitch was too much in favor of the bowlers,” Jeff Crowe, the International Cricket Council’s match referee for the test, said Monday.

“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.”

James Allsopp, chief of cricket at Cricket Australia, expressed his disappointment for those fans who had bought tickets for Days 3 and 4 that the “pitch did not provide the MCG’s customary balance between bat and ball.”

Those comments came after Matt Page, the curator of the pitch at the MCG, acknowledged that leaving 10mm of grass on the surface proved excessive.

“I’ve never been involved in a test match like it,” Page said, “and hopefully never involved in a test match like it again.”

Australia leads the five-match series 3-1 and has already retained the urn heading into the final test in Sydney.

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