Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen 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 balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
