The Melbourne Cricket Ground pairs a drop-in pitch with a huge field, and this MCG pitch report looks at how both play in the Big Bash and in Tests. In the BBL, chasing has been the better option: sides batting second have won 45 of the 78 games here. Recent first innings have averaged in the mid-150s, but 162, 168 and 173 were all chased down in the last two seasons, so a total of 175 or more is the safer target. On pace versus spin, seam has had the bigger say lately: with about 10mm of grass left on for the December 2025 Test, 36 wickets fell in two days.
Test cricket is less predictable. The Boxing Day pitch has ranged from a flat 2017 draw that the ICC rated "poor" to the December 2025 Ashes Test, which ended inside two days and was rated "unsatisfactory". In between, three straight Boxing Day pitches were rated "very good". With New Zealand due on 26 December 2026, how much grass is left on the pitch matters more than the ground's history.
Quick verdict
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Batting or bowling? | Balanced to bowler-friendly in the BBL; Test pitches vary year to year |
| Pace or spin? | Pace, with seam movement when grass is left on, as in December 2025 |
| Bat first or chase (BBL)? | Chase: 45 wins to 32, with one tie, in 78 games |
| Good BBL first-innings score | 175-plus; the BBL|14 and BBL|15 average was about 156 |
| Highest BBL total | 273/2, Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes, 19 Jan 2022, also the BBL record |
| Boxing Day pitch ratings | "Very good" from 2022 to 2024, "unsatisfactory" in 2025 |
The BBL counts in this guide stop at the end of BBL|15 in January 2026.
The ground: crowds, tenants and drop-in pitches
The MCG holds 100,024 people and opened in 1853. Cricket's first Test, between Australia and England in March 1877, was played here. Victoria and the Melbourne Stars are long-standing tenants. For BBL|16 the Melbourne Renegades leave Marvel Stadium after 15 years, according to Austadiums' BBL|16 fixture report. Their home games are spread across the MCG, Junction Oval and the season opener in Chennai, and the Stars also take one home game to Junction Oval.
The crowds set the MCG apart:
- 94,199 on day one of the December 2025 Boxing Day Test, the largest cricket crowd in Australia.
- 373,691 across the five days of the 2024 Boxing Day Test against India, the highest total attendance for a single Test.
- 80,883 for the Stars against the Renegades in BBL|05 (2015-16), the ground's BBL record.
The pitches are drop-ins, prepared away from the middle and moved in for the cricket season, because the ground hosts Australian football through the winter. They have been used since 1996 and were meant to give more consistent bounce. By the late 2010s they had become a problem again: the 2017 Ashes Test pitch got the ICC's first official "poor" rating for an Australian venue, and a Sheffield Shield match was abandoned here in 2019. A new set of drop-in pitches was planned for the early 2020s.
The field is large, at roughly 173 by 148 metres for cricket. The ropes are brought in for matches, but it is still a big outfield, so running between the wickets matters.
The MCG's 2026-27 calendar
Cricket Australia's 2026-27 schedule gives the MCG three men's internationals:
- 21 November 2026: first T20I, Australia v England.
- 26-30 December 2026: third Test, Australia v New Zealand, the Boxing Day Test.
- 11-15 March 2027: the 150th Anniversary Test against England, a day-night match.
BBL|16 adds six games: Stars v Strikers (18 Dec), Renegades v Sixers (1 Jan), the Stars v Renegades derby (4 Jan), Stars v Sixers (7 Jan), Stars v Hurricanes (14 Jan) and the return derby, Renegades v Stars (16 Jan). With the Test at the MCG on 26 December, the Stars' Boxing Day game is in Perth.
MCG pitch report for the BBL
The BBL scoring record here covers both extremes. The Stars' 273/2 against the Hurricanes in January 2022 is still the highest total in BBL history, yet the Adelaide Strikers were bowled out for 83 as recently as January 2026.
BBL|14 and BBL|15 at the MCG
| Date | Batting first | Chasing side | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 2024 | Stars 162/6 | Heat 163/2 (18.1 overs) | Chasing side |
| 4 Jan 2025 | Renegades 168/7 | Stars 171/5 (19.4) | Chasing side |
| 9 Jan 2025 | Stars 156/5 | Sixers 140/9 | Batting first, by 16 runs |
| 19 Jan 2025 | Stars 219/5 | Hurricanes 179 | Batting first, by 40 runs |
| 18 Dec 2025 | Hurricanes 158/9 | Stars 159/2 (16.0) | Chasing side |
| 4 Jan 2026 | Stars 173/9 | Renegades 177/6 (19.5) | Chasing side |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Stars 128 | Sixers 129/4 (17.1) | Chasing side |
| 13 Jan 2026 | Strikers 83 | Stars 86/4 (15.1) | Chasing side |
Chasing sides won six of those eight games. First innings averaged about 156, but only 156 and 219 were defended. That fits the longer record: over 78 BBL games here, sides batting first have won 32, sides chasing 45, and one game was tied.
Two practical takeaways. First, captains who win the toss have good reason to bowl. Second, a first-innings total in the 160s is below par at the MCG, even though it is close to the recent average. Our look at whether the toss really matters puts that edge in context.
Scores and records at the MCG
Men's matches only, as of January 2026.
| Record | Figure |
|---|---|
| BBL results | 78 games: 32 won batting first, 45 chasing, 1 tie |
| Highest BBL total | 273/2, Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes, 19 Jan 2022 |
| Lowest completed BBL total | 68, Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars, 15 Jan 2021 |
| Highest T20I total | 186/5, India v Zimbabwe, 6 Nov 2022 |
| Highest ODI total | 355/5, Australia v England, 22 Nov 2022 |
| ODI results | 152 games: 73 won batting first, 75 chasing, 1 tie, 3 no result |
The T20I line stands out: no side has passed 186 in a men's T20I here, which fits the BBL picture of modest totals.
The Boxing Day Test pitch
A Test has started on Boxing Day at the MCG every year since 1995, and the ground has hosted a Test every summer since 1982. Here is how the recent Boxing Day Tests went:
| Year | Match | Result | ICC pitch rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | v England | Draw | Poor |
| 2018 | v India | India won by 137 runs | – |
| 2019 | v New Zealand | Australia won by 247 runs | – |
| 2020 | v India | India won by 8 wickets | – |
| 2021 | v England | Australia won by an innings and 14 runs | Average |
| 2022 | v South Africa | Australia won by an innings and 182 runs | Very good |
| 2023 | v Pakistan | Australia won by 79 runs | Very good |
| 2024 | v India | Australia won by 184 runs | Very good |
| 2025 | v England | England won by 4 wickets | Unsatisfactory |
Ratings for 2018 to 2020 are not shown because we could not confirm them.
The 2025 Test shows how much preparation matters. Head curator Matt Page left about 10mm of grass on the pitch, more than in previous years, and the seamers took over. Twenty wickets fell on the first day and 16 on the second, and no batter on either side reached fifty. Josh Tongue took 5/45 as England won by four wickets. Match referee Jeff Crowe said: "The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers." Wisden's report on the rating has the details. The ground got one demerit point, which stays on its record for five years.
Cricket Australia said it expected lessons from that Test to guide preparation for the 2026 Boxing Day Test and the 150th Anniversary Test. Expect the New Zealand pitch to be watched closely. The best guide will be photos and the curator's comments in the days before the game, not the ground's history.
Conditions: four seasons in one day
Melbourne's weather is famously changeable, often described as four seasons in one day. At the Olympic Park weather station near the MCG, January averages a high of 26.6°C and December 24.3°C. Hot north-westerly winds can arrive ahead of a cold front, and cool south-westerlies off the Southern Ocean usually follow. Showers can build quickly and be heavy.
Check the forecast on the morning of a game, not the week before. The 150th Anniversary Test is a day-night match in March, so the pink ball under lights adds another variable.
Using a CricGuru prediction at the MCG
Find the game on the live and upcoming matches page, open it, sign in and ask for the AI prediction. Free accounts get a few trial predictions; for regular use, paid plans include a daily allowance. Here is what each source can tell you:
| What you want to know | Where to look |
|---|---|
| How the sides compare on form, head-to-head and table position | The CricGuru prediction, which also adds a small home-advantage factor |
| Whether to lean towards the chasing side | This report: chasers have won 45 of 78 BBL games here |
| What a safe first-innings total is | This report: 175-plus, against a recent average near 156 |
| Who is really at home in a derby | Neither side: both clubs call the MCG home |
| How the Boxing Day pitch will play | Grass cover and the curator's comments in the days before |
Pitch, venue, weather and toss are not model inputs, and an AI-written preview comes with each prediction. The teams hub is the quickest way to compare squads, and how to predict cricket matches covers adding ground factors without overcorrecting.
FAQ
Is the MCG better for batting or bowling?
In the BBL it is balanced to slightly bowler-friendly. Recent first innings averaged about 156, and chasing sides won six of eight games in BBL|14 and BBL|15. In Tests it depends on preparation: flat in 2017, very good from 2022 to 2024, and seam-friendly in 2025.
How many runs should a BBL side post at the MCG?
Aim for 175 or more. Totals of 162, 168 and 173 were chased in the last two seasons, and only 156 and 219 were defended.
Why was the 2025 Boxing Day Test pitch rated unsatisfactory?
The ICC match referee judged that it favoured the bowlers too much. About 10mm of grass was left on, 36 wickets fell in two days, and no batter made fifty. The MCG received one demerit point.
Does the MCG use a drop-in pitch?
Yes. The MCG has used them since 1996, because the ground also hosts Australian football. A new set was planned for the early 2020s after the 2017 "poor" rating.
Who plays BBL|16 games at the MCG?
Both Melbourne clubs. The Stars host four games at the MCG and the Renegades two, including the derby on 16 January. The Stars also have one home game at Junction Oval, and the Renegades have two there plus the season opener in Chennai.
Final word: check the grass
At the MCG, read the pitch, then the scoreboard: chase in the BBL unless the evidence says otherwise, treat 175 as par, and look closely at the grass before Boxing Day. The New Year's Test moves to Sydney next, covered in our SCG pitch report, while the Bellerive Oval guide covers a ground where 180 is not enough.