In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
