'Are You Not Entertained?' Why a Shortened Test Was No Less a Genuine Test Match.

In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.

Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.

The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.

The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format

The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.

The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.

If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.

An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle

The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.

Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.

Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.

A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket

But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.

The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.

The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment made in other matches.

Problem Solving: The Real Challenge

Some factors are accepted more readily than others.

The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.

Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.

Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View

Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.

In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.

There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.

Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches

The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.

That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to both.

At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.

"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."

Small Victories: Building for the Future

In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.

The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.

New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.

Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.

As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.

Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.