Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the time devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
