'Are You Not Entertained?' The Reason a Two-Day Test Deserved Its Status as a Proper Cricket Test.
In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.