In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
