Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
