In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
