Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
