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The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the conclusion of the fourth Ashes Test, with the iconic venue receiving one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
The assessment was delivered by Emirates ICC Elite Panel match referee Jeff Crowe, who pointed to the extreme imbalance between bat and ball as the key factor behind the decision.
According to Crowe, the surface offered excessive assistance to bowlers throughout the match, resulting in a rapid collapse of innings on both sides.
“The MCG pitch was heavily in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second, and no batter reaching a half-century, the pitch was deemed ‘Unsatisfactory’ under ICC guidelines,” Crowe explained.
The match statistics reflected those concerns. England, after winning the toss, opted to bowl first and made immediate inroads.
Josh Tongue spearheaded the attack with a superb spell of 5 for 45, as Australia were skittled for 152 in their first innings.
Batting proved just as treacherous for England, who were bundled out for 110 inside 30 overs, despite the modest total on offer.
Australia were then forced to bat again on the opening day itself, but the struggles continued, with the hosts managing only 132 in their second innings. Travis Head’s 46 stood out as the highest individual score of the match.
England eventually chased down the target in 32.2 overs, losing six wickets in the process, with Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell making valuable contributions in testing conditions.
The fourth Ashes Test concluded in just two days, with a staggering 36 wickets falling across 142 overs and no batter managing to register a half-century, a rare occurrence at one of cricket’s most celebrated venues.
Despite the defeat, Australia had already retained the Ashes, having taken an unassailable 3–0 lead by winning the opening three Tests.
For England, the victory marked their first Test win on Australian soil since 2011, providing a rare highlight in an otherwise difficult tour.
The series will wrap up with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, scheduled to begin on January 4.
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