Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
