In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
