Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
