Curator 'shocked' by Melbourne pitch performance in Ashes
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MELBOURNE, Dec 28 : The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) curator who prepared the widely criticised pitch for the fourth Ashes test said he was in a "state of shock" as wickets tumbled in the two-day match.
England completed a four-wicket victory after tea on Saturday, triggering a round of condemnation of the pitch for being too much in favour of the bowlers.
"I was in a state of shock," curator Matt Page told reporters at the MCG on Sunday.
"I've never been involved in a test match like it and hopefully never involved in a test match like that again. It was a rollercoaster ride for two days to see everything unfold."
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Test matches last up to five days, with most finishing within four. But two-day tests are very much a rarity.
Twenty wickets fell on day one, with another 16 taken on day two before England chased down 175 runs for their first victory after three straight losses in the five-test series.
Host board Cricket Australia (CA) were left millions of dollars out of pocket, having to refund tickets for a confirmed sell-out crowd on day three at the 100,000-seat stadium and for another large crowd for day four.
CA were already counting the cost of the first test in Perth which also finished in two days. Local media reported the short test cost CA about A$5 million ($3.36 million) in forgone revenue.
Last year's blockbuster MCG test between Australia and India lasted deep into day five, with ground staff leaving 7 millimetres of grass on the wicket before the start.
Staff left 10 mm for the fourth Ashes test due to cooler and wetter weather in the lead-up.
Page said the pitch needed to provide some movement of the ball off the seam to give bowlers encouragement and avoid dull, batting-dominated matches like the panned 2017 Ashes test in Melbourne which produced a draw and a big double-century for England's Alastair Cook.
"We don't get deterioration in our pitches and we're trying to balance that contest between bat and ball throughout four or five days to provide that captivating test for all," Page added.
"We’ve gone too far with this one and we’re very, very disappointed it's only gone two days."
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), which owns and operates the MCG, were also left short-changed by the two-day test.
The International Cricket Council's match referee has yet to deliver its verdict on the pitch but MCC CEO Stuart Fox stood by Page, who has worked at the stadium for eight years.
"We brought Matt on eight years ago because he’s considered one of the best in the country, if not the best," Fox told reporters.
"I still believe that and I always will.
"When you believe in your people, you get behind them and support them. I know he’ll respond and the team will."
($1 = 1.4892 Australian dollars)
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