Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
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 not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
