Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
