Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit donned by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music 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 contest is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test 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 pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
