Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG 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. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
