In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
