Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
