In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
