Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
