Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
