England only have themselves to blame for their two-day capitulation in Perth, after the pitch for the first Ashes Test received the top rating possible from the International Cricket Council.
The “very good” assessment by the ICC match referee was made on a pitch with “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers”.
Australia defeated England in the first Test in Perth by eight wickets in under two days.
The tourists were well placed on day two with a lead of more than 100 runs with nine wickets in hand. However, a middle-order collapse ended their innings in fewer than 35 overs, and within hours Travis Head had guided Australia to victory.
According to the statistician Dave Middleton, it was the shortest Ashes Test in 137 years.
Cricket Australia’s chief of cricket, James Allsopp, offered praise to the Perth ground staff and the head curator, Isaac McDonald.
“The match referee’s ‘very good’ rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball,” he 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.”
The brevity of the first Ashes Test disappointed fans who had made the trip to Perth, one of the world’s most remote major cities.
It has also forced those connected to the game to scramble to enact contingencies, and cost Cricket Australia approximately $4m in lost revenue due to the three lost days.
Despite the frustrations, Allsopp said the first Test must be considered a success, with Channel Seven reporting a TV audience up 60% compared with last year’s contest against India.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
