Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
