Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket 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 spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
