Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
