Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
