Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket 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 fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
