Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match 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 defence of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
