Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
