In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
