In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble donned by the pop star. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
