In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
