Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together 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 Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
