5 months ago
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The ICC connected Monday (December 29, 2025) rated the transportation utilized successful Melbourne for the 4th Ashes Test betwixt England and Australia arsenic unsatisfactory and handed the venue 1 demerit constituent aft it was deemed to beryllium "too overmuch successful favour of the bowlers" successful lucifer referee Jeff Crowe's appraisal report.
Twenty wickets fell connected the opening time of the Test which England yet won by 4 wickets wrong 2 days.
"The transportation astatine the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the venue for the 4th Ashes Test, has been deemed 'Unsatisfactory' with the venue handed 1 demerit constituent nether the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process," work a connection from the ICC.
Accumulation of six demerit points leads to a 12-month prohibition connected the venue.
Crowe delivered the verdict, explaining the determination down the appraisal of the pitch.
"The MCG transportation was excessively overmuch successful favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling connected the archetypal day, 16 connected the 2nd time and nary batter adjacent reaching a half-century, the transportation was 'Unsatisfactory' arsenic per the guidelines and the venue gets 1 demerit point," helium stated.
The transportation drew dense disapproval with England skipper Ben Stokes saying it wasn't large for the game. Cricket Australia called it atrocious for business.
The spectators witnessed a full of 36 wickets autumn crossed lone 142 overs and nary batter managing to scope the 50-run mark.
Despite England securing their archetypal Test triumph connected Australian ungraded since 2011, Australia person already retained the Ashes by winning the archetypal 3 Tests to instrumentality an unassailable 3–0 lead.
The last Test of the bid volition beryllium played successful Sydney, opening connected January 4.
