In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
