Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
