Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch 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 an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
