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Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report: Batting or Bowling, Weather & Match Insights

12 min
Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report

Summary

  • The MCG pitch usually favours batters, offering good bounce and carry, making it ideal for stroke play.
  • Fast bowlers can get early movement with the new ball, especially in the first session of a match.
  • Spin bowlers come into play later, as the pitch may slow down slightly during long innings.
  • The weather is usually clear, but strong winds can affect swing bowling and shot selection, so teams need to adjust accordingly.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch report suggests that it offers a fairly balanced contest between bat and ball, though there's a slight edge for batsmen as the game moves on. Early in the innings, especially in ODIs, fast bowlers tend to enjoy the conditions; there’s often extra bounce and a bit of seam movement if they hit the right areas.

But once the ball gets older and the surface settles, it becomes more favourable for batsmen. The pitch flattens out nicely, and stroke-making becomes easier. Spinners don’t usually get much assistance here; the pitch doesn’t turn much, and they’re mostly used for containing runs rather than attacking. The average ODI score at the MCG sits around 207, with first innings totals typically close to 194. It is among the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world.

Pitch Type Generally balanced to batting‑friendly
Early OversOffers extra bounce, pace & seam if bowlers hit good lengths.
Middle OversThe surface becomes more settled. As the match progresses, the pitch tends to flatten out.
Average Score – ODI 207

Average 1st Innings Score - ODI

194
Batting‑ vs. Bowling‑FriendlySlight batting tilt, especially when the pitch settles, but not completely one-sided
Pace or Spin FriendlyPacers early on might get some help, spin not strongly assisted
Best Suited ForBatsmen with good technique and pacers can exploit early seam and bounce.
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Melbourne Cricket Ground Overview

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG, is one of cricket’s most iconic venues, not just in Australia but around the world. It is located in East Melbourne and dates back to the mid-1800s, with the first game played there in 1854. Over the years, it has grown into a massive stadium that can hold around 100,000 spectators, making it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The playing field is known for its large dimensions, straight boundaries range from 80 to 85 metres, while square boundaries stretch even further, up to 90 metres, which makes clearing the ropes a real challenge, even for top-level players. Weather-wise, Melbourne has a mix of conditions. Summers are typically warm to hot, ideal for cricket, while winters are colder and bring more rain, which is why most matches are scheduled in the summer months.

Stadium NameMelbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
LocationEast Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
EstablishedLand granted to MCC in September 1853. First cricket match at this location: September 30, 1854.
Seating CapacityApproximately 100,000 total capacity
Boundary DimensionsStraight (long on/off) boundaries: 80–85 m. Square boundaries (off/leg side): 86–90 m.
Weather ImpactMelbourne has a temperate climate with moderate rainfall. Summers (roughly December to February) are warm to hot, winter (June‑August) is cold and relatively wet.

Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report

The Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch report offers a fairly balanced contest between bat and ball. Early in the innings, fast bowlers can take advantage of the extra bounce and a bit of seam movement. However, as the match progresses, the surface tends to settle and becomes more favourable for batting. While spinners don’t get much natural turn, fast bowlers who can maintain consistent lines and lengths in the early overs often find success at this venue.

Pitch BehaviorBest Suited To
Generally balanced, with early assistance for pacers. Technically solid batsmen

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Melbourne Cricket Ground Batting or Bowling Pitch

The Melbourne pitch batting or bowling? It’s a question that often comes up ahead of big games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tends to offer a bit of something for both batsmen and bowlers. Early in the game, fast bowlers can get some bounce and seam movement, which makes it tricky for the batters.

But as the match goes on, the surface usually evens out and becomes easier to bat on, allowing players to score more freely. Spinners don’t really get much help here; they mostly rely on keeping things tight and mixing up their deliveries using variations. So overall, while the MCG pitch does give bowlers some early advantage, it generally ends up being a good batting surface once the innings settle. So, this tells us about whether the MCG pitch report batting or bowling.

Melbourne Cricket Ground Highest Score

The highest team score ever recorded in a One Day International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is 355 for 5, made by Australia against England in November 2022. This total was made possible by a massive opening partnership of 269 runs between Travis Head and David Warner, which set a new record for the highest first-wicket stand at the MCG in ODIs.

Melbourne Cricket Ground Lowest Score

The lowest team score ever recorded in a One Day International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is 94 all out, made by England back in February 1979 during a series against Australia. In that match, England’s batting lineup really struggled against some strong Australian bowling and never really got going, ending up with a very low total. Australia took full advantage of the situation and won comfortably.

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Melbourne Cricket Ground Average Score

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has seen a wide range of ODI performances over the years. The highest team total recorded at the MCG in an ODI came in November 2022, when Australia piled up 355 for 5 against England. On the other end, the lowest total belongs to England, who were bowled out for just 94 runs in 31.1 overs back in February 1979, also against Australia.

One of the most impressive chases at the venue came in January 2018, when England successfully chased down 308 with five wickets in hand and 1.1 overs to spare. As for low-scoring thrillers, in January 1985, Australia Women defended just 169 for 6 against England Women in a 57-over match.

Highest Total Recorded355 / 5 (50 overs) Scored by Australia against England (Nov 2022)
Lowest Total Recorded94 / 10 (31.1 overs) England dismissed by Australia (Feb 1979)
Highest Score Chased308 / 5 (48.5 overs) England chased down Australia’s total (Jan 2018)
Lowest Score Defended169 / 6 (57 overs) Australia Women successfully defended against England Women (Jan 1985)

Average 1st Innings Score at Melbourne Cricket Ground

The average first innings score in One Day Internationals at one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, Melbourne Cricket Ground is around 221 runs. Fast bowlers, in particular, tend to get some bounce and movement, especially in the first 10–15 overs. However, once the ball gets older and the pitch starts to settle, batting becomes a bit easier. Teams that bat first and post anything in the range of 230 to 260 usually feel they’re in with a strong chance. While high scores are certainly possible at the MCG, especially possible with a good start.

Average 2nd Innings Score & Chasing Record at Melbourne Cricket Ground

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), chasing in ODIs has always been a bit of a mixed bag. The average second innings score at the venue is around 194 runs, which is noticeably lower than the first innings average of about 221. The ground’s large dimensions and often slow outfield tend to make boundaries harder to come by, especially in the later stages of a match when the pitch can slow down and offer a bit more to the bowlers.

Despite these challenges, chasing teams haven’t been entirely out of luck; they’ve won around 50 per cent of the matches played here, which shows a balanced contest between batting first and second. The highest successful chase at the MCG came in 2018, when England chased down 308 against Australia.

Average First Innings Score221
Average Second Innings Score 194
Highest Successful Chase308/5 by England vs Australia (2018)
Chasing Win Percentage50%

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Melbourne Cricket Ground Last 5 Matches Records

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has recently proven to be a high-scoring venue in One Day Internationals (ODIs), especially in the last few matches. The average first innings score stands at around 280 runs. Interestingly, the average second innings score is not far behind at 257 runs, which shows that the pitch has remained fairly consistent throughout the game, offering support for both batters and bowlers. What stands out is the highest successful chase of 304 runs. With a chasing win percentage of 80%, it's clear that captains winning the toss are increasingly opting to field first

Average First Innings Score280 runs
Average Second Innings Score257 runs
Highest Successful Chase304 runs
Chasing Win Percentage80%

Melbourne Cricket Ground Weather

The weather forecast for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) suggests mild and pleasant conditions. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 17°C and 23°C, with humidity levels around 50% to 76%. As the evening approaches, temperatures will drop to between 11°C and 14°C, while humidity rises to 60% to 80%. The chance of rain remains low throughout the day and evening, generally staying between 5% and 10%, which means there is minimal risk of weather interruptions during the game.

WeatherTemperatureHumidityChance of Rain
Daytime conditions17 °C to 23 °C (highs)Relative humidity ~50 % to 76 %5 % to 10 % during daytime hours
Night/evening11 °C to 14 °C (lows) Humidity rises, often into the 60‑80 % range 5 % in the evening hours

Melbourne Cricket Ground Weather Today

The Melbourne Cricket Ground Weather is expected to be mild and spring-like, offering favourable conditions for cricket matches. Daytime temperatures typically reach around 19°C, with nighttime lows averaging 10°C. Humidity levels are moderate, averaging 69%, and rainfall is relatively light.

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Melbourne Cricket Ground ODI & T20 Stats

The Melbourne Cricket Ground scorecard reveals a fascinating balance in the ODI format. In 161 ODIs played here, teams have an almost equal chance of winning whether batting first or bowling first, with 78 wins each. The average first innings score stands at 221, while teams batting second average 194 runs. The highest total recorded in ODIs at the venue is 355 for 5, while the lowest is 94 all out. The highest successful chase at the MCG in ODIs is 308 for 2.

In T20s, 27 matches have been played with a slight edge to teams bowling first, who have won 15 times compared to 11 wins for those batting first. The average first innings score in T20s is 141, with chasing teams averaging 124. The highest T20 total recorded is 186 for 5, and the lowest is 74 all out. The highest successful chase in T20s at the MCG is 172 for 5, while the lowest defended total is 127 for 10. Overall, the Melbourne Cricket Ground scorecard suggests that it is a competitive venue across formats.

ParameterODIT20
Total Matches16127
Matches Won Batting First7811
Matches Won Bowling First7815
Average 1st Innings Score221141
Average 2nd Innings Score 194124
Highest Total Recorded355/5186/5
Lowest Total Recorded94/1074/10
Highest Score Chased 308/2172/5
Lowest Score Defended 169/6127/10

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Melbourne Cricket Ground Test Stats & Records

The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has hosted a total of 119 Test matches. According to the MCG scorecard history, teams batting first have won 58 matches, while those bowling first have secured 43 victories. The average first innings score stands at 307, with the second innings slightly higher at 314, indicating that the pitch tends to favour batsmen early on.

However, scores tend to decline in the later innings, with averages of 251 and 171 for the third and fourth innings, respectively, suggesting the pitch deteriorates as the match progresses. The highest total ever recorded at the MCG is a massive 624 for 8 declared by Australia against Pakistan, while the lowest is a 36 all out by South Africa.

Total Matches119
Matches Won Batting First58
Matches Won Bowling First43
Average 1st Innings Score307
Average 2nd Innings Score314
Average 3rd Innings Score251
Average 4th Innings Score171
Highest Total Recorded624/8 (142 overs) by Australia vs Pakistan
Lowest Total Recorded36/10 (23.2 overs) by South Africa vs Australia

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest score at Melbourne Cricket Ground in T20 cricket?

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The highest T20 total recorded is 186 for 5 made by India against Zimbabwe.

Is Melbourne pitch batting or bowling?

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The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tends to offer a bit of something for both batsmen and bowlers.

Is Melbourne Cricket Ground good for spin or pace?

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Fast bowlers can get some bounce and seam movement, which makes it tricky for the batters. Spinners don’t really get much help here. 

What type of pitch is Melbourne Cricket Ground?

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Once the ball gets older and the surface settles, it becomes more favourable for batsmen. The pitch flattens out nicely, and stroke-making becomes easier.

What is the pitch report of Melbourne Cricket Ground?

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The Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch report suggests that it offers a fairly balanced contest between bat and ball, though there's a slight edge for batsmen.

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Edited by- Aaryan Raj
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