In a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
