ICC rates MCG pitch unsatisfactory

The ICC on Monday rated the pitch used in Melbourne for the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia as unsatisfactory and handed the venue one demerit point after it was deemed to be “too much in favour of the bowlers” in match referee Jeff Crowe’s assessment report. Twenty wickets fell on the opening day of the Test which England eventually won by four wickets inside two days.

“The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), 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,” read a statement from the ICC. Accumulation of six demerit points leads to a 12-month ban on the venue. Crowe delivered the verdict, explaining the decision behind the assessment of the pitch. “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 pitch drew heavy criticism with England captain Ben Stokes saying it wasn’t great for the game. Cricket Australia called it bad for business. The spectators witnessed a total of 36 wickets fall across only 142 overs and no batter managing to reach the 50-run mark.

Despite England securing their first Test victory on Australian soil since 2011. Australia have already retained the Ashes by winning the first three Tests to take an unassailable 3–0 lead. The final Test of the series will be played in Sydney, beginning on January 4. The pitch drew heavy criticism with England captain Ben Stokes saying it wasn’t great for the game.

Atkinson ruled out of final Ashes test

Sydney: England pace bowler Gus Atkinson has joined the tourists’ mounting injury toll after being ruled out for the fifth and final Ashes cricket test in Sydney with a hamstring injury. Atkinson pulled up lame during the second morning of the Boxing Day test and was officially ruled-out after scans on Monday confirmed the injury in his left leg. England have already lost star speedsters Mark Wood (knee) and Jofra Archer (side strain) during the series, with 27-year-old Matthew Potts expected to come into the team for the fifth test starting on Jan. 4 and join Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue in the attack.

Carse is now the only pacer remaining from the original four that took the field in Perth, believing they could tear through a brittle Australian batting lineup with lightning pace, but lost the series inside 11 days. Atkinson played in the two heavy 8-wicket defeats in the first two tests in Perth and Adelaide, before being dropped for Josh Tongue for the third test at Adelaide.

He was recalled for the injured Archer for the Boxing Day test, England’s first win in Australia since 2011, and had a series return of six wickets at 47.33. Captain Ben Stokes and spin-bowling allrounder Will Jacks also remain available as bowling options, as is specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir, who is yet to play a match in the series.