In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
