In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
