Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance 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. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
