In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
