 "'Shocked' MCG curator takes blame as Cricket Australia set to lose over $10 million due to two-day finish")
Matt Page, the chief curator at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, has taken ownership of the two-day finish of the fourth Ashes Test as he remains in a “state of shock” after what unfolded in the biggest cricket stadium in Australia.
36 wickets fell in six sessions as the fourth Ashes Test was wrapped up within two days and England emerged victorious for the first time on Australian soil in almost 15 years. This is the second two-day finish in the ongoing Ashes where the opening game also finished before the third day.
The pitch has been absolutely panned by experts and fans all over the world as it proved to be unplayable for batters. England captain Ben Stokes said that hell would break loose if such pitch was anywhere else in the world. Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg too said that such matches are bad business as the board now stares at losses of over $10 million.
MCG curator in “state of shock”
Amid severe criticism, curator Page has now taken responsibility and vowed to learn from the debacle.
“I was in a state of shock after the first day, to see everything that happened, 20 wickets in a day. I’ve never been involved in a Test match like it, and hopefully never involved in a Test match like it again,” Paige said at a press conference on Sunday.
Full credit to Matt Paige for fronting up today about the Pitch .. He made a mistake and has owned up to it so let’s move on now .. he has produced great pitches before I will do again in the future .. #Ashes
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 27, 2025
“Every year is different and the margins are very small, but in the back of your mind, you’re always trying to provide that contest. We’re about trying to provide captivating Test cricket, that balance between bat and ball going four or five days.
“We’ve produced a Test that’s been captivating, but it hasn’t gone long enough and we’ll take ownership of that. We’ll learn from it, we’ll grow, and we’ll make sure that we’ll get it right next year,” said Page who has been the curator at MCG since 2017.
CA counting losses
Already licking the wounds of the series opener in Perth which cost CA over $3 million in losses, the Australian board now stares at an even bigger hole in their purse.
94,199 people attended the opening day of the Boxing Day Test match, a single-day record for a cricket match at MCG. The second day too witnessed crowd over 92,000. CA will now have to refund money for tickets of the remaining days. The broadcaster too would face losses due to the early finish. Cricket Australia could be staring at around $13 million in lost revenue.
“A simple phrase I’d use is short Tests are bad for business,” the board’s CEO had told SEN ahead of the second day’s play.
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