Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
