In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively 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 two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
