In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
