In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with all the life 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 range – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
