Marvel Stadium surface described as 'substandard' for Big Bash League clash

The outfield at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium has come under scrutiny once again during last night's Big Bash League clash between the Renegades and Scorchers.

While the Renegades won the clash by six balls, fans and experts alike have voiced their frustration on social media with the quality of the turf under the roof.

Scorchers coach Adam Voges was not happy with the wicket and outfield, labelling the pitch “substandard”.

Voges stated “I am not making excuses for the result but it was clearly a good bat flip to win.

“Clearly the outfield is substandard, the aesthetics of it is poor. I will have to check with the players as to how they felt running around on it.

Voges also confirmed that the Perth side raised concerns with Cricket Australia about the outfield, but it had been deemed safe.

However, Cricket Australia released a statement during the match following mass criticism of the conditions.

Marvel Stadium in pretty poor condition for tonight's BBL game. #BBL14 | #RENvSCO pic.twitter.com/FR6HBSpWMw

— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) December 23, 2024

The statement advised “the League and clubs work closely with all venues to ensure they meet all required standards, including outfields.

“There are many tenants and events at Marvel Stadium, with extensive foot traffic over the outfield in the period immediately prior to the BBL.

“As is standard procedure, match officials inspected the venue on Sunday. While there are bare patches on the outfield, it was deemed safe for play.

“Both teams also trained at the venue on Sunday. We anticipate the outfield will continue to improve ahead of the remaining BBL|14 matches at the venue.”

Voges said the Scorchers raised their concerns about the ground ahead of the match but were eventually OK to play if the BBL deemed the ground safe.

He noted “it’s hard to get anything done at short notice, we expressed our concerns before the game.”

Marvel Stadium has always been a controversial venue for BBL games, with the ground surface criticised for being in a poor condition as a result of constant usage.

Image: Big Bash League at Marvel Stadium. Credit: Cricket Australia.