Curator has his say..,
‘State of shock’: MCG curator faces music with big admission over Boxing Day debacle
www.foxsports.com.au
MCG head curator Matt Page has confessed he was in a “state of shock” watching the carnage unfold during this week’s Boxing Day Test, admitting he was “really disappointed” with the two-day outcome.
England won the fourth Ashes Test in less than 32 hours, with 36 wickets falling across two days at the iconic Victorian venue, making it the third-shortest Ashes contest on Australian soil in Test history. Courtesy of the seam movement and extra bounce, no player from either team managed a half-century, which had not occurred in a Test match in Australia since 1932.
More than 90,000 fans were expected for the sold-out third day in Melbourne, with Cricket Australia expected to lose millions from the shortened contest.
Page fronted the media outside the MCG on Sunday morning to explain the challenges he faced while preparing the pitch, expressing his dismay at the result.
“We’re obviously really disappointed that it’s gone two days,” he told reporters.
“We’d rather be in there (today) watching these two great teams going at it.
“We’ll learn from this, we’ll get better from it, as we have done over the last seven years with every setback we’ve faced.
“We’ll grow from it, and we’ll ensure that we get it right again next year.”
Page, who has held the position for eight years, also confirmed the weather forecast of hot conditions on Sunday and Monday, days three and four, contributed to the decision to leave 10mm of grass on the pitch, up from 7mm last year.
The MCG has previously been guilty of producing flat, benign wickets that favoured batting, most notably during the 2017 Ashes Test where 24 wickets fell across five days. The lifeless pitch drew heavy criticism from players and administrators, with match referee Ranjan Madugalle handing down a ‘poor’ rating in his official report.
“Our issues here, with deterioration in pitches getting very flat, has been well documented. We’re really conscious of that,” he continued.
“We don’t want to go back to where we were in 2017, and our grass is vitally important to what we do.
“We left (the grass) longer because we knew we were going to get (hot) weather at the back end, where we knew we’d need our grass.”
He added: “The margins are very small, but in the back of your mind, you’re always trying to provide captivating Test cricket, that balance between bat and ball, and going four or five days. We’ve produced a Test that’s been captivating, but it hasn’t gone long enough, and we’ll take ownership of that.”
Page added he was particularly surprised by the bounce on offer across the first two days – Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne was twice struck on the glove on Saturday by deliveries that reared off a good length.
“I was in a state of shock after the first day, to see everything that happened, 20 wickets in a day,” he said.
“I’ve never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never involved in a Test match like it again.
“It was a roller coaster ride for two days to see everything unfold.”
Speaking to reporters in Melbourne on Sunday, Australian opener Travis Head confessed that he “felt for” Page and his team, acknowledging the fine margins in preparing an adequate Test wicket.
“It’s bloody tough,” he said.
“You leave one or two millimeters on with high-quality bowling and you find yourself short. You take two or three mil millimeters with high-quality batting and you’re (too far) the other way.
“Everyone wants to see wickets ... (but) there needs to be a balance.”
Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox also spoke at Sunday’s press conference, sharing his sympathies with fans and CA.
“I didn’t think we’d be standing out here doing a press conference this morning. I thought we’d be getting ready for day three,” he said.
“We didn’t plan for it. We didn’t want this to happen, it’s obviously challenging times for us.
“This pitch has clearly favoured the bowlers and hasn’t given the batters a good opportunity to get set, so we’re obviously disappointed.”
He added: “Our responsibility is to provide a pitch with good balance between bat and ball. We just weren’t able to do that.”
Despite the pitch debacle, Fox declared that he stood by Page and his team “100 per cent”.
“We brought Matt on eight years ago because he’s considered one of the best in the country, if not the best, and I still believe that, and I always will,” he continued.
“He’s done a great job. He and his team worked tirelessly to get this right. You can see he’s disappointed today. He carries that responsibility, and my job as a leader is to support people.”
Meanwhile, Fox revealed the blunt feedback CA offered the MCC after the two-day shootout.
“They’re disappointed that it’s gone two days,” he said.
“We were probably heading time an all time Ashes (attendance) record here at the ‘G, which would have been terrific.”
With tongue firmly in cheek, Fox also offered the reporters some meat pies, acknowledging the venue was flooded with food that had been allocated for the final three days of the match.
“The good news story is that we will donate all the perishables to Second Bite, one of our charity partners, who get the food and give it to the homeless,” he said.
“I can assure you, there’s plenty there, and there will be people who need it who will be really well fed over the next few days.”
The fifth and final Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at the SCG on December 4.
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