Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel 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 not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
