In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
