In a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble donned by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
