In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
