Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
