Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance 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.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
