Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
