In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
