Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
