Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
