Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
