Stunning ‘very good’ verdict as two-day Test pitch gets top rating after 30-wicket carnage

Thirty wickets. Just 125 overs. A wicket every 25 balls and a Test match finished inside two days. The Mackay pitch that produced the extraordinary scenes is reportedly set to receive the highest possible grading. Match referee Sir Richie Richardson is set to grade the Great Barrier Reef Arena surface used for the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh as “very good”, according to 7Cricket Chief Cricket Reporter Tom Morris. The ICC will still need to tick off the assessment before the grading is formalised. “Very good” is the highest of four possible pitch gradings and is defined as providing ‘good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers’. Australia v Bangladesh: The second Test between Australia and Bangladesh at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay finished in just two days with 30 wickets falling across 125 overs. Despite the rapid conclusion, the pitch received a “very good” rating. Australia’s Josh Hazlewood believes the surface itself wasn’t the sole reason for the quick finish, noting that while the wicket was good, it likely quickened up during the match. Mitchell Starc took a remarkable 10-wicket match haul, with 6-12 in the first innings and 4-39 in the second. Bangladesh were bundled out for just 64 in their first innings and managed 95 in their second, with Najmul Hossain Shanto scoring 31. Australia were dismissed for 210 in their only innings, with Cameron Green’s 67, Steve Smith’s 42, and Nathan Lyon’s unbeaten 32 being the key contributions. Only Cameron Green reached 50 across the entire Test. The pitch grading comes less than a year after another two-day Test at Perth Stadium, which also received a ‘very good’ rating after 32 wickets fell. Travis Head’s 123 in Australia’s second innings was crucial in guiding the team to victory. The Mackay pitch’s assessment reflects its ability to provide a fair balance between batters and bowlers, similar to the Perth Stadium surface.