Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
