In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
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 wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention 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 finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
