Matt Page has been given backing by his boss as the fallout continues for a quickfire Boxing Day Test.
MCG curator Matt Page revealed he was “in a state of shock” after watching twenty wickets fall on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test. Australian batsman Travis Head offered his sympathy to the ground staff following the seam-friendly pitch conditions, which resulted in a two-day finish and an estimated financial loss of up to AU$10 million for Cricket Australia (CA).
Page`s decision to maintain 10mm of grass on the surface—a choice influenced by high temperature forecasts for the final three days—faced intense criticism. A total of 36 wickets fell across just 142 overs, allowing England to secure their first victory in Australia since January 2011 on the second day.
England captain Ben Stokes suggested that an equivalent pitch anywhere else would cause “hell.” Steven Smith questioned the amount of grass left, remarking:
“It probably offered just a little bit too much… Maybe if you took it from 10 to 8mm, it would have been a nice challenging wicket—maybe a little bit more even.”
Page stated he was “really disappointed” with the outcome and vowed to prevent another two-day Test at the MCG. “I was in a state of shock after the first day, to see everything that happened, 20 wickets in a day,” he admitted. “I`ve never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never involved in a Test match like it again.”
“Every year is different and the margins are very small, but in the back of your mind, you’re always trying to provide that contest. We’re about trying to provide captivating Test cricket, that balance between bat and ball 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. We`ll learn from it, we`ll grow, and we`ll make sure that we`ll get it right next year.”
Head, who top-scored in the second innings with 46, expressed solidarity with Page, stating that ground staff have it “bloody tough.” He highlighted the razor-thin margins involved in pitch preparation, comparing it to last year`s Test and the Adelaide match, where poor batting contributed to low scores.
“Adelaide last week was probably one of the better batting wickets I`ve seen and I think we batted poorly on day one; England probably batted poorly [too],” Head said. “When we went to bed on day one, everyone was talking 500-600…”
“You’re 1-2mm [of grass] away from it going the other way and seeing a more bowler-friendly week… You’ve got to take the good with the bat. Everyone’s trying to evolve and get better.”
“I feel for him [Page]. It’s bloody tough. You leave 1-2mm on with high-quality bowling and you find yourself short, and you take 2-3mm off with high-quality batting and you leave yourself the other way.”
Stuart Fox, the chief executive of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), defended Page, whom he considers “one of the best in the country,” and hinted that the batsmen’s aggressive approach contributed to the quick finish.
“It`s clearly favored the bowlers, but I sat there, and you were all watching this Test. The batting was extraordinary to watch. It was entertaining, and they were having a go, weren`t they? There`s lots of debate around bat vs the pitch. It is what it is,” Fox said.
“I can`t control that in any way other than our responsibility is to provide a pitch with good balance between bat and ball, and we just weren`t able to do that. I think it demonstrates the fine margins and the difficulty this guy here [Page] faces every week, so I`m here to support him.”
Page referenced the history of the ground, specifically the 2017-18 Boxing Day Test which was a dull draw that earned an ICC “poor” rating. “We don`t want to go back to where we were in 2017,” Page explained. “If we don`t have seam movement here at the MCG, we become very dull, very lifeless and very flat, which is no good for the players, no good for the spectators, and no good for the game.”
The early finish has severe financial implications for Cricket Australia, which is refunding over 90,000 Day Three tickets and several thousand more for Day Four. CA CEO Todd Greenberg stated that short Tests are “bad for business,” and officials met with MCC staff to voice their disappointment, though Fox confirmed the MCC would “work with Cricket Australia” to respond to the issue.
