Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
