The Ashes: Optus Stadium pitch receives ‘very good’ rating from ICC match referee
The Optus Stadium pitch played no part in Perth’s Test match lasting just two days, according to the International Cricket Council, with the deck given the highest-possible rating by the match referee.
Ranjan Madugalle rated the pitch as ‘very good’, which is the top category in the four-tier rating system that includes options for ‘satisfactory’, ‘unsatisfactory’ and ‘unfit’.
The senior official’s analysis meant the Perth deck was characterised as having “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The rating intensifies the spotlight on England’s shoddy display of batting, particularly in the second innings, where the tourists lost their last nine wickets in the space of just 18 overs.
“The match referee’s “very good” rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball,” Cricket Australia’s chief of cricket James Allsopp said.
“The dominance of some brilliant pace bowling from both sides and the frenetic nature of the contest meant the match lasted only two days.
“This was disappointing for fans holding tickets for days three and four, but we saw some incredible moments which captivated huge viewing audiences and will inspire even more kids to pick up a bat and ball this summer.
“As always, we want to ensure pitches across Australia have their own characteristics and we’re looking forward to another enthralling contest under lights at the Gabba starting next Thursday.”
It came after WA Cricket high performance boss Kade Harvey earlier this week defended the Optus deck, saying it had provided something for everyone.
“All of the data and metrics that we’ve got says that the wicket was 15 per cent harder than day one last year and that was a clear shift for us to get that right this year,” Harvey said.
“There was a little bit less moisture, the wicket was harder. We felt like it was a really good wicket to give something to all parts of the game over a four or five-day Test match.”
