Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
