Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
