In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
