In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
