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MCG curator in 'state of shock' at two-day Test
Melbourne Cricket Ground head curator Matthew Page said he was in a "state of shock" during England's two-day defeat of Australia in the Boxing Day Test.
Thirty-six wickets fell in six sessions after Page and his team left 10mm of grass on the surface for the fourth Ashes Test.
England won by four wickets in the evening session of the second day for the second two-day finish of the series, following the opener in Perth. It was England's first Test win in Australia since 2011.
Cricket Australia (CA) estimates the early finish will cost the organisation around 10m Australian dollars (£4.97m) in lost revenue.
Despite his team's victory, England captain Ben Stokes said people would raise "hell" if the Melbourne pitch had been produced elsewhere in the world.
Pitch curators or groundsmen often address the media prior to Tests in Australia, but Page took the unusual step of speaking on Sunday following the conclusion of the Test at the MCG.
"I've never been involved in a Test match like it and hopefully I'm not involved in a Test match like it again," he said.
We know this hasn't gone as we planned. We will look at what we need to do to improve.
Before the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith said the pitch was "furry and green" and batters would "have to be on their game".
Twenty wickets fell on the opening day, the most on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909.
"I was in a state of shock after the first day," said Page. "We're obviously disappointed it's gone two days.
We produced a Test that was captivating, but it hasn't gone long enough. We'll learn from that and make sure we get it right next year.
This is not the first time the Melbourne pitch for an Ashes Test has been criticised. In the drawn match of 2017, the surface did not offer enough assistance for the bowlers, resulting in a dull contest.
Only 24 wickets fell across the match as England's Alastair Cook piled on an unbeaten 244.
Melbourne Cricket Club chief executive Stuart Fox explained there had been a review of pitches since then, and Page gave details of the surfaces used for recent Tests.
Some MCG pitches have had longer grass than the 10mm for this year's contest, while last year's match between Australia and India was played on a pitch that had 7mm of grass and went into the fifth day.
This year, Page opted for 10mm of grass because of the hot weather forecast for what was scheduled to be the closing stages of the Test. Temperatures of 32C are forecast for Monday, the fourth day.
After almost 190,000 spectators were inside the MCG for the opening two days, day three was also a sell-out. There was the potential for the all-time Ashes attendance record to be broken.
CA are not insured for the loss of revenue from this Test. The A$10m figure is significant, but does not have a huge impact on a forecast A$600m revenue in the financial year.
Fox revealed there were discussions about players returning on day three for an exhibition match in order to satisfy ticket-holders and broadcasters. It is understood those conversations did not progress far enough to be raised with the England team.
There were alternatives discussed," he said. "There was talk of players coming out and having a hit, but that didn't get up.
Fox said he had "full faith" in Page and believes he is the best groundsman in Australia.
"We're obviously disappointed the Test has finished in two days," said Fox. "We didn't plan for this and we didn't want this to happen. It's challenging times for us.
"This pitch has clearly favoured the bowlers and hasn't given the batters a good opportunity to get set. What it demonstrates is the fine margins Matt and his team are dealing with.
We do understand the impact this has had on the fans and Cricket Australia. I've got all the faith in the world in Matt and his team.
Fox also confirmed that perishable food due to be used at the Boxing Day Test will be donated to a local charity.
Source: BBC
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