In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
