Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
