Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
