Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer 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 notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
