Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
