In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
