In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
