Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
