In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
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 time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
