Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
