Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
