In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
