In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
