In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
