Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
