In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
