In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
