Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
