In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
