In a humbling turn of events for an Australian politician, Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nick Reece has been forced to honour an embarrassing wager with his counterpart in London. The bet, centred on the Ashes Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), required the losing mayor to publicly display the winning team's photograph.
The Trash Talk That Came Back to Haunt Him
Prior to the match, Lord Mayor Reece appeared supremely confident in Steve Smith's Australian side. He engaged in some classic sporting banter with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, via a lengthy text message. Reece suggested Khan might be getting "cold feet" given England's poor form, having already lost the series urn after going 3-0 down. He even quipped about looking forward to seeing an Australian team poster at City Hall in London.
Khan, however, accepted the challenge with characteristic London grit, replying: "You are on - in London we don’t back down from challenges!" The terms were clear: the defeated mayor would have to post the opposing side's team photo on their office door for a full week.
A Stunning Victory and a Costly Forfeit
The outcome was not what Mayor Reece anticipated. England secured a dramatic four-wicket victory at the MCG on Saturday, ending a 15-year wait for a Test win on Australian soil. The match itself was historic for its brevity, concluding in just two days—the shortest Test played at the iconic Melbourne ground since 1932.
This result means Nick Reece, who was sworn in as Melbourne's 105th Lord Mayor in 2024, must now find a suitable picture of Ben Stokes' triumphant England squad and display it prominently at Melbourne's Town Hall. The friendly bet between the two mayors, who are known to be good friends and met in London recently, has delivered a very public sporting humiliation.
Broader Repercussions of a Two-Day Test
The fallout from the remarkably short match extends far beyond the mayor's office door. The pitch at the MCG has faced severe criticism from players and commentators alike for excessively favouring bowlers. Cricket Australia is reportedly facing financial losses exceeding $10 million (around £5 million) due to refunded ticket sales and lost broadcasting revenue for the curtailed game.
MCG curator Matt Page expressed his shock at the events of the first day, where 20 wickets fell, hoping never to be involved in a similar Test match again. The teams now head to Sydney for the final Ashes Test, commencing on Sunday, January 4, while Mayor Reece contemplates his week of sporting penance.
