Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
