VICTORIAN paceman Peter Siddle gave new meaning to getting three cheers when he celebrated his 26th birthday with a hat-trick against England at the Gabba.
In a happy return to Test cricket after recovering from back stress injuries, Siddle's career best 6-54 gave Australia the whip hand on the opening day of the Ashes series.
England was dismissed for 260, and in reply Australia had reached 0-25 at stumps.
To rub further salt into England's wounds, Siddle paid tribute to England's bowling coach - his former Victorian mentor David Saker - for "playing a massive part in my development".
"I spent a lot of time with (Saker) before I played Test cricket," Siddle said.
"As I was growing up as a young 15, 16-year-old I got the opportunity to start hearing from him and getting a bit of coaching from him.
Australian bowling coach Troy Cooley will step aside after the World Cup next year and Saker, who played 72 first-class matches for Victoria and Tasmania, has become a front-runner to replace him.
Siddle became the seventh Victorian bowler to take a Test hat-trick. He was a 10-year-old in Gippsland when Shane Warne took the last Ashes hat-trick by an Australian, in the 1994 Boxing Day Test.
"I was probably in the back yard, trying to impersonate him, thinking I was a leg-spinner," Siddle said. "Trying to take my own hat-trick against my brother. It's hard to take in at the moment.
"All the boys came charging in, but Stuart was still there so I thought he was going to call for (a video replay)," Siddle said.
"Once it got cleared, it did bring a big smile to my face."
