Perth’s fast and furious pitch for the first Ashes Test has been handed the best possible rating by the International Cricket Council, placing further spotlight on England’s poor batting to allow the game to finish inside two days.
Match referee Ranjan Madugalle, the most senior officiator on the ICC panel, rated the pitch “very good”, which is the highest praise available under the global governing body’s system for pitch assessment.
Travis Head turned the first Test, and the series, on their head.Credit: Getty Images
ICC regulations state that a “very good” pitch can be characterised as having “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.
Batters on both sides struggled to come to terms with the surface on day one, as 19 wickets fell, but conditions on day two eased considerably. This was underlined by Travis Head’s match-winning century in the final session.
England’s second innings saw the tourists fritter away a dominant position with a series of injudicious shots, namely driving at length balls outside off stump, and Madugalle’s assessment of the surface backs up the conclusions of a host of commentators at the ground.
“The match referee’s ‘very good’ rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball,” said James Allsopp, CA’s chief of cricket. “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.”
