Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
