In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit worn by the pop star. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, 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 footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
