Cricket's strange beauty and uncertainty

Some people would rather watch paint dry than five days of a Test match. But even if you don't know your silly mid-off from deep extra cover there is much to admire about this sometimes baffling game, writes Suzy Freeman-Greene in the Age.

Ricky Ponting looked worried. It was early in the Ashes series; it had rained overnight and the ball appeared to be damp. Ponting and his team-mates stood in a huddle examining the suspect item, then someone gave it a good, long rub on his pants. More scrutiny followed. After another rub, and further inspection, play finally resumed. Test cricket is full of such arrested moments.