STADIUM bosses at the Melbourne Cricket Ground called a rare emergency press conference after their pitch was labelled a “disgrace to the game”.
The iconic MCG traditionally hosts Australia’s Boxing Day Test, including in the Ashes.
But the ground was used for just two days as England wrapped up a quickfire victory to make it 3-1 in the series.
That made it the first Test series since 1912 to have multiple two-day finishes – and first in the Ashes since 1888.
The grounds team – called curators – decided to mow the pitch at 10mm rather than the usual 7mm.
And it made it into a bowler’s dream with 20 wickets falling on day one and 16 on day two as England chased down their target of 175 – while no batter scored more than 46.
The result was a first England Test victory in Australia for 15 years.
And it looks set to come at a cost for Cricket Australia.
The first Test in Perth, which also concluded inside two days, reportedly saw the cricketing body miss out on around $5million AUD (£2.5m).
And the Melbourne Test could hit Cricket Australia in the coffers for as much as double that amount at a staggering $10m AUD (£5m).
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Unused tickets for the remaining days will need to be refunded by the association.
Plus, the loss of matchday revenue from the 93,000 supporters buying drinks and food over the holiday season and cancelled corporate suites and hospitality take their toll.
And there may even be a commercial impact from the broadcasters and sponsors.
Now the MCG have made the shock move to address the pitch scandal.
CEO Stuart Fox and head curator Matthew Page will conduct a press conference on Sunday.
But England hero Steve Harmison was not impressed at all with the state of the pitch at the southern hemisphere’s biggest stadium.
Harmison told talkSPORT: “The MCG on Boxing Day is one of the biggest occasions in world cricket.
“They brought in 94,000 on days one and two.
“To have a surface like that – which you wouldn’t even get in a level five village match – is a disgrace to the game of cricket.
“The players didn’t deserve that surface. There’s a difference between good bowling and putting the ball anywhere for the pitch to do the talking.
‘THERE WOULD BE HELL’
“The England players can do what they want now – because they won’t be on the front page tomorrow.
“It will be these two [Fox and Page] after their press conference.”
England captain Ben Stokes, who made scores of 16 and two and took four wickets in Melbourne, launched a scathing assessment of the MCG pitch – and reckons there would be “hell” if the same pitch was produced elsewhere.
Stokes described the surface as “not the best” before adding to BBC’s TMS: “With 36 wickets in less than two days and no total over 200, I think you can read into that a lot.
“If that was another condition somewhere else and that happened, you probably would get a pasting.”
Asked if he was referring to criticism of turning Asian pitches, Stokes added: “Those are your words, not mine.
“I’m pretty sure if that was somewhere else in the world there’d be hell on.
“It is not the best thing for games that should be played over five days but we played a type of cricket that ended up getting the job done.”
Fans couldn’t help but try and see the funny side after the shambles, though.
One fan joked: “I reckon start another Test on the same pitch tomorrow and give England the chance to draw it 3-3 in Sydney.”
Another suggested: “As a nation, we need Cricket Australia, the MCC and the broadcasters to urgently organise a one-day 50-over match tomorrow at the MCG featuring Ricky Ponting, Stuart Broad, and whoever we can get for a legends match. Free entry for kids, shown on TV, with public apology.”
