In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
