Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
