For a young, left-arm fast bowler making his Tasmanian debut, there could hardly have been a more fitting place to receive his first cap than the WACA Ground.
Marcus Bean had heard all the stories of Mitchell Johnson steaming in on the famous Perth wicket terrorising the opposition.
On Sunday, it was his turn to follow in those footsteps as the Tigers opened their One Day Cup campaign with a commanding nine-wicket win over Western Australia.
Bean only learned he would make his debut about 15 minutes after arriving at the ground, with rain leading into the contest creating some uncertainty surrounding the final make-up of Tasmania’s XI.
“I was pretty nervous at the start, and then after the nerves settled down, I was very excited to have the opportunity to chuck on the colours and really feel like I was helping contribute towards the team,” Bean said.
“First time at the WACA, and you hear the stories of people like Mitchell Johnson steaming in there, so to be there and to have that thought in the back of my mind was a pretty cool feeling.
“For my first ball to come out and to be an absolute ripper was nice as well.”
Adding to the occasion was having his cap presented by Tigers assistant coach Damien Wright, who has worked closely with Bean since taking charge of Tasmania’s bowling group.
“He’s done a lot of work with me and we’ve clicked pretty early,” Bean said.
“To have him come into the bowling role and to help me so much and make me feel like I’m making really positive steps really quickly, was really nice.
“For him to give me the cap really felt like icing on the cake.”
After an injury-interrupted 2025-26 season, Bean said a clearer mindset throughout the winter had helped put him in position to earn his opportunity.
“You always want to be having your name on the whiteboard and last year I struggled a lot with injury, and that was a bit frustrating,” he said.
“I think I had a much clearer mind going into this preseason. I knew if I just worked hard, listened to the coaches and put in 110 per cent effort all the time that I was going to get the rewards.”
Tasmania started the season with a bang, skittling Western Australia for just 115 before chasing down the target inside 16 overs to secure a bonus-point victory.
The Tigers now turn their attention to South Australia tomorrow, with Bean expecting another significant challenge.
“They have been very good these past two years, obviously back-to-back winners in the Shield and a very, very good one-day side,” he said.
“We know we’ve got a challenge, but we also feel we’ve got the best one-day side in the comp.
“If we play our game and we stick to our strengths, I think we’ll come out on top.”