In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
