In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent 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 produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
