Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
