Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
