A day after the BBL 2023 game between Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch, Cricket Australia has issued a statement and has promised a thorough review. The match officials deemed the pitch as ‘too damp’ which resulted in uneven bounce, making it extremely unsafe for play to take place during MLR vs PRS.
CA issues statement on BBL 2023 game abandoned due to dangerous pitch
As per Cricket Australia, the pitch was affected by rain a few days ago and that the ground staff worked to ensure the pitch was safe for play. Further, each team will recieve one point each while the fans will be refunded their ticket costs. The body will conduct a thorough review into the incident, it asserted.
The statement states: The pitch at GMHBA Stadium was rain-affected in the days prior to the game. Ground staff worked throughout the day to rectify the situation and umpires considered the pitch safe for play to start.
However in the seventh over umpires abandoned the game, deeming there was foreseeable risk to the safety of the players.
Each team will receive one point unless the game can be rescheduled.
Fans will be refunded the cost of their tickets.
CA will conduct a thorough review into the extremely frustrating circumstances that have resulted in the game being abandoned and a huge disappointment for fans and players.
Why was MLR vs PRS abandoned?
After being put to bat. Scorchers were 30 for 2 from 6.5 overs before umpires suspended the play due to unsafe bounce. The game was then eventually abandoned. The concerned grew when the fifth ball of the sixth over ballooned through to the keeper, shocking the batter and the fielding team.
While it is the first instance in the BBL that a match was called off due to unsafe pitch, this is not a first in Australia. In 2019, the match between Victoria and West Australia in the Sheffield Shield competition was abandoned after two batters sustained a head injury due to dangerous bounce.
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