Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
