The Great Barrier Reef Arena pitch in Mackay is reportedly set to receive the highest possible ICC rating of “very good” despite the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh lasting only two days. Match referee Sir Richie Richardson is expected to give the surface a high rating after 30 wickets fell in 125 overs.
Australia won the Test by an innings and 51 runs on Sunday. Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 and 95, while Australia scored 210. Mitchell Starc finished with match figures of 10/51, including 6/12 in the first innings. The Test produced only 369 runs from 750 balls, the fourth-shortest completed men's Test.
Australia vs Bangladesh Two-Day Mackay Test Pitch Likely to Receive ‘Very Good’ Rating
According to a social media post by 7 News journalist Tom Morris, match referee Sir Richie Richardson is set to give the Mackay pitch the highest possible rating of “very good”. The ICC must approve the assessment before it becomes official.
"Match referee for the Mackay Test Sir Richie Richardson is set to grade the pitch ‘very good’…The highest possible grading. The ICC will need to tick it off before the grading is formalised. 30 wickets fell in 125 overs…a wicket every 25 balls. 🏏"
Match referee for the Mackay Test Sir Richie Richardson is set to grade the pitch ‘very good’…The highest possible grading.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) August 24, 2026
The ICC will need to tick it off before the grading is formalised.
30 wickets fell in 125 overs…a wicket every 25 balls. 🏏@7Cricket @1116sen…
The main argument for the rating is that the pitch offered conventional seam movement and bounce rather than dangerous or unpredictable behaviour. Mitchell Starc also defended the surface after 18 wickets fell on the opening day.
"People will see 18 wickets and say it's a bad wicket. I think it's a very good day for one wicket. It's probably played very similar to a Gabba wicket. You see some tennis-ball bounce early on day one at the Gabba, like today. A pretty helter-skelter day of cricket, but I'd say some good bowling led to 18 wickets," Starc stated.
Why the Surface May Not Have Been to Blame for Two-Day Finish
The match figures suggest batting failures played a major role in the quick finish. Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in the first innings and 95 in the second, while Australia scored 210. Nathan Lyon, batting at No. 10, faced 62 balls.
Cameron Green was the standout batter for Australia, scoring 67 off 105 balls to give the hosts a valuable first-innings lead after their top order struggled. Steve Smith added 42, while Nathan Lyon made an unbeaten 32 at No. 10.
Mitchell Starc produced the biggest impact with the ball, taking 10 wickets for 51 runs. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon also took three wickets each in Bangladesh's second innings.
Shoriful Islam was Bangladesh's standout performer despite the heavy defeat. The left-arm pacer claimed a career-best 7/48 in Australia's first innings and also scored 14 as the No. 11 batter.
Everyone Is Just Adapting To It - Mackay curator Peter Kazakoff
Mackay curator Peter Kazakoff admitted he was surprised by the 18 wickets that fell on the opening day but rejected the suggestion that the pitch was excessively bowler-friendly. He said modern batting has become more aggressive because of the influence of T20 cricket.
“Definitely the game has changed the way the batsmen approach it. It’s so much more aggressive now. No doubt as curators, we’ve got to adapt to that. It’s not an 18-wicket pitch, by far. These things happen," Peter Kazakoff told ABC Radio.
"Test cricket’s changed; cricket’s changed. We’ve got to try to work with that as well. We probably have to tone it down a fraction than we would’ve in previous years, just to keep up with the modern trend of international cricket. T20 cricket has made a huge mark on Test cricket now. I think everyone is just adapting to it.”
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