The ICC has rated the MCG pitch for the Boxing Day Ashes Test as 'Unsatisfactory'.
MCG Boxing Day pitch rated 'Unsatisfactory'
The fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes series ended in under two days, as England won by four wickets to drag the series scoreline back to 3-1 and gain some useful World Test Championship points.
The match surface was the focus for much of the game though, as 20 wickets fell on day one and no batter made it to fifty, a 93-year first in a men's Test in Australia.
4th Test, Australia vs England
vs
- Ball by ball Over
On Monday, the ICC released match referee Jeff Crowe's assessment of the pitch: "Mr. Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees has rated the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch that was used for the fourth match of the ICC World Test Championship series between Australia and England as “Unsatisfactory” and the venue has received one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.
"Mr. Crowe said: 'The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point.'"
Read more: Ben Stokes on MCG pitch: 'If that was somewhere else in the world there'd be hell'
Venues receive demerit points when the pitch or outfield for a match is considered substandard, i.e., it receives a rating of 'unsatisfactory' or 'unfit'. The accumulation of six or more demerit points in a five-year period will result the venue being suspended from hosting international cricket for the following 12 months. This period goes up to 24 months if 12 demerit points are accumulated.
Melbourne Cricket Ground: Last five men's Test match pitch and outfield ratings
| Date | Match | Pitch Rating | Outfield Rating |
| December 26, 2025 | Australia v England | Unsatisfactory | Not yet available |
| December 26, 2024 | Australia v India | Very Good | Very Good |
| December 26, 2023 | Australia v Pakistan | Very Good | Very Good |
| December 26, 2022 | Australia v South Africa | Very Good | Good |
| December 26, 2021 | Australia v England | Average | Very Good |
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