If the result of a cricket one-day international is forgotten by most fans within a week the shelf life of Twenty20 memories must be measured in Mayfly proportions.

However, that does not mean that there is no value in the smash and crash of cricket’s newest format. Quite the opposite.

England all-rounder Kevin Pietersen, one of the most explosive and inventive batsmen in the game, greeted the first edition of the world Twenty20 by describing his efforts as “silly shots for a silly game”.

As he prepares for the second, having yet to master a format that would appear tailor-made for him, he says he is taking it very seriously.

A close-up view of the IPL, where he was jointly rated as the most valuable commodity in the game alongside Andrew Flintoff, and the realisation that international trophies are few and far between, have combined to focus Pietersen’s mind.

For most fans, however, one-day cricket and particularly the 20 overs-a-side version, is still more about having a day out and marvelling at the hitting power of the game’s top batsmen.

Unlike football fans who would revel in a 5-0 win, cricket supporters who attend a one-day match generally do not go home singing if they see their team triumph by 10 wickets or 150 runs.

A rash of tumbling wickets is good, but not too many please — we all want a close finish after all.

“Have I got news for You?” and “QI” are hugely popular TV shows in the UK but nobody even slightly pretends that the final scores matter in the slightest. It’s all about the entertainment along the way.

Therein lies the true appeal of Twenty20 and the reason why the franchise version in India proved so successful. Contrary to most, if not all other sports, the result is somehow less important that the process.

The game can and probably should be appreciated just for the beauty and power of its best protagonists. If Adam Gilchrist smashes 30 off a single over, those who see it will be telling friends about it for years.

Just don’t expect them to remember if he was on the winning side.

PHOTO: Umpire Krishna Hariharan orders a dog off the pitch in the opening game of the IPL Twenty20 tournament between the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in Cape Town, April 18, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings