Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
