In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
