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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
ICC give their grading of MCG pitch following two day Test
Nicholas Quinlan • December 29th, 2025 8:16 pm
ICC Match referee Jeff Crowe has reportedly handed down his pitch rating of the MCG following the fourth Ashes Test.
In recent days, the pitch has generated plenty of controversy with the Test match being concluded within two days with 36 wickets being lost.
Following this result, which saw England win by four wickets, MCG curator Matt Page would put his hand up and admit that the pitch had "favoured the bowlers".
This would be backed by software company CricViz, which gave an 8.9 out of 10 in terms of difficulty to bat on.
That was the highest rating that the company has given to any Australian pitch since they began recording this stat back in 2006.
Following that, the ICC have deemed the pitch 'unsatisfactory', which is considered to be substandard. Out of the four possible grades the MCG could have received, this is the second-worst rating.
With this rating, it also opens the door for the ICC to possibly place sanctions on the 100,000+ seat venue, having now fallen below a satisfactory rating.
It appears unlikely that Cricket Australia will appeal the ruling.
