Western Australia Cricket has launched a staunch defence of the Optus Stadium pitch after a historic women's Ashes Test concluded in just two days, marking the shortest completed Test match in cricket history.
Historic Two-Day Test Match
The historic match between Australia and England wrapped up on Friday after only two days of play, with Australia securing a comprehensive victory by 143 runs. The match became the shortest completed Test in cricket history, surpassing the previous record set in 1932.
England's batting lineup collapsed dramatically on the second day, bowled out for just 178 runs while chasing 322 for victory. The visiting team struggled significantly against Australia's bowling attack, with the pitch conditions drawing immediate scrutiny from cricket commentators and fans alike.
WA Cricket's Strong Defence
WA Cricket chief executive Christina Matthews responded firmly to criticism of the playing surface, stating the pitch had been prepared to last five days. "We're really disappointed with the way it played over the last couple of days," Matthews told ABC Sport.
Matthews emphasized that the same preparation team had produced excellent pitches for previous matches, including the men's Test against West Indies last year. She defended the ground staff's expertise while acknowledging the unexpected outcome. "We've got the best people in the world preparing our wickets," she stated, highlighting their proven track record.
Mixed Reactions and Historical Context
The rapid conclusion sparked divided opinions within the cricket community. Australian captain Alyssa Healy described the pitch as "challenging" but stopped short of criticizing the playing surface. Meanwhile, England's veteran bowler Kate Cross expressed her enjoyment of the contest despite the difficult conditions.
Former Australian cricketer Mel Jones noted that while the pitch wasn't dangerous, it created extremely difficult batting conditions from the very beginning. The match statistics reveal the extent of the batting struggles, with only three players managing to score more than 50 runs throughout the entire contest.
The result leaves Australia leading the multi-format series 4-2 with only three Twenty20 internationals remaining. Despite the pitch controversy, the match attracted nearly 8000 spectators over two days, demonstrating strong public interest in women's Test cricket.
WA Cricket maintains that the pitch preparation followed standard procedures and that the unexpected outcome resulted from the combination of high-quality bowling and challenging conditions rather than poor pitch preparation.
