Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
