Ugly sport can also be beautiful

Sport can be a magnificent thing. Ask any Manchester City supporter to compare the beauty of the Mona Lisa against last season’s heart-stopping victory over QPR on the final day of the season, and you’ll get the same response every single time.

You are never far from somebody waxing lyrical over the excellence of Lionel Messi, Dan Carter or Roger Federer, and some people go as far as saying that Barcelona’s football is a work of art itself.

Because of all this, it is be easy to forget that sport can be unattractive: there are such things as gritty 0-0 draws and rugby matches devoid of tries or excitement.

More importantly, it is important to remember that this ‘ugly’ sport can provide us with just as much memorable entertainment.

England’s nail-biting draw in the final test in Auckland last week was the definition of no-frills efficiency. With only six wickets to spare, Alistair Cook’s men had to manoeuvre their way through 90 overs on the final day to avoid an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Black Caps and give themselves the worst possible preparation for the upcoming Ashes series.

Such an escape seemed highly improbable at the start of play, but the raucous Barmy Army grew in hope as first Ian Bell and then Matt Prior provided the most stoic of barriers to the New Zealand attack, repelling over after over to ensure the host’s hopes of victory slowly but surely dwindled. England eventually got the job done with a single wicket to spare.

It certainly wasn’t pretty to watch. Ian Bell took 271 balls to reach his 75, whilst Matt Prior should have been bowled when the ball hit his stumps early on, but the characteristic English stoicism provided a perverse sense of enjoyment.

Bell, Prior et al frustrated the likes of Trent Boult and Kane Williamson with their rearguard action, and proved that even the most unattractive cricket can be beautiful to behold.

Tuesday’s unlikely success was not the first time that an England Test side have forgone style to grab a draw from the jaws of defeat.

You only have to go back as far as the 2009 Ashes to recall the gritty yet brilliant innings of Paul Collingwood in Cardiff which preceded the desperate defence of Monty Panesar and James Anderson as they withstood the Australian attack to secure a hugely important draw in the opening Test of that series, setting the tone for the rest of the summer.

Going back further still to 1995, and Michael Atherton’s match-saving 185 (scored from a mammoth 452 balls) against South Africa in Johannesburg was arguably the innings of his career, and was further proof that determination and perseverance in sport can often undermine pure excellence and provide the most stunning of results.

The ability to win ugly is an aspect that all coaches look to instil in their teams, but only the best can do it on a regular basis: think of Manchester United in the Premier League era or Munster during their reign over European rugby.

These sides had the ability to win games with unparalleled panache and style when they wanted to, but were also able to knuckle down and grind out the unattractive victories when necessary: victories which often prove to be the sweetest to savour.

Winning ugly can be an individual ability as well as a team one. As I write, Andy Murray is lifting his first ATP trophy of 2013 after beating David Ferrer in the final of the Miami Masters.

The match will certainly not go down in the annals of tennis history as a classic, and in comparison to some of the epics that Murray has had against Djokovic and Federer in the past, it was a rather dull affair.

Nonetheless, the grit and determination that the Brit showed to come from match point down against the irrepressible Spaniard was just as pleasing as any stylish victory he has had so far this year, especially given the overbearing humidity for the duration of the match.

Arguably the most memorable example of the splendour that ugly sport can provide came in the form of Chelsea’s historic triumph in the Champions League in 2012, when their entire knockout campaign was built on an unattractive but ultimately successful doggedness.

Their unentertaining game-plan provided gritty success over Barcelona in the first-leg of their semi-final, before the same resolute persistence saw them force Bayern Munich to penalties in the showpiece finale, where they went on to overcome the German giants to lift the trophy.

Their memorable triumph will not be remembered for any individual brilliance or scintillating artistry, but the camaraderie and determination of the group in their defensive persistence.

We all love sport when it is played well: it’s what makes us such ardent supporters of our teams and of sport itself. However, there are those occasions when the ugliest of moments can end up being the most beautiful, and we shouldn’t be quick to dismiss them: they can often end up being the most memorable of them all. Just ask Matt Prior.