169 runs in 211 deliveries: MCG pitch under fire again after Big Bash fizzer

Cricket Australia has backed in the MCG to produce a pitch for action-packed cricket if it hosts a Big Bash final despite Tuesday night’s fizzer between the Stars and the Strikers.

The match, where just 169 runs were scored in 35.1 overs, puts MCG curator Matt Page under pressure again just weeks after he fronted the media when the Boxing Day Test finished inside two days.

Despite the low scores, two sources who were not authorised to speak publicly told this masthead that Tuesday’s pitch, which was not the same one used on Boxing Day, was rated “good” by authorities.

On Wednesday, Cricket Australia was measured in its criticism but admitted the MCG wicket failed to deliver a pitch conducive to high scoring, which they prefer for BBL matches.

“Our preference is for hard, fast wickets that provide the opportunity for action-packed, high-scoring cricket,” a BBL spokesperson said.

“While the pitch for the Stars-Strikers match didn’t produce this outcome, the MCG has hosted some fantastic contests this season including the Melbourne derby before a huge crowd of almost 70,000.

“We’re confident there will be another great contest should the Stars host a BBL final.”

The Stars are in second place on the Big Bash table, so the focus on the pitch will grow as it is the second time that bowlers have been able to dominate batters at the MCG this summer.

Page said after the Boxing Day Test that he was in “a state of shock” after 20 wickets fell on the opening day. The International Cricket Council rated the pitch “unsatisfactory” and the state of the pitch (and the standard of batting) were criticised.

The MCG uses drop-in pitches and the one used for Tuesday night’s match was different to the one used in the two-day Boxing Day Test. The game was played soon after a heatwave hit Victoria last week.

Marcus Stoinis hit of one only three sixes for the match before being forced to retire hurt when the ball leapt off a length and struck him on the finger. Scans cleared him of serious injury.

His teammate, Stars opener Tom Rogers, top scored with 32 while the Strikers’ top individual score was 20.

Stoinis was cautious in his comments to the broadcaster when asked about the pitch post-match, but said the wicket made it tough to play entertaining Twenty20 cricket.

“We had a conversation after that last game, and we wanted a better surface,” Stoinis said.

“I think that’s what they tried to do. It’s obviously hard and they’re doing their best, but it’s not ideal for us.

“It went up, it went down, and it nipped.”

A Melbourne Cricket Club spokesperson said the pitch would be reviewed as normal, with much of the focus directed towards being ready to host a home final for the Stars if they qualify.

“We’re aware of the comments made following last night’s BBL match. But as we do after every match, we speak to the players and officials, and review the pitch data to understand how it played. We now move forward in preparing the next cricket pitch, which hopefully is for a Stars home final,” the spokesperson said.

The three previous BBL matches played at the MCG this season have been conducive to runs, yielding 924 in 113.1 overs (8.2 runs an over) for the loss of 40 wickets.

The Strikers slumped to 9-55 in the 14th over before recovering to make 83, but the result was a foregone conclusion when they lost Liam Scott to slump to 5-40 after the halfway mark.

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was dismissed for eight after opening the batting for the Strikers. He admitted on SEN he misread the wicket, and it was much livelier than he predicted when he examined the pitch.

“It presented really well,” Carey said.

“When you walked out to bat and had a look at the wicket it was quite white, it was quite hard, and all signs led to a pretty good track.

“But there was just enough seam movement, the ball swung, and I reckon when it was hitting the shiny side as well and skidded on, the bounce wasn’t quite there. There was enough there for the ball.

“It was one of those ones where there was just enough in it to make it difficult for the batters.”