Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
