Jake Lehmann's first century at the MCG tasted extra sweet and not just because of its close proximity to the Ashes.
The aggressive left-hander plundered 14 fours on the way to a quickfire 103 as South Australia went to stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria at 6-291.
With the No.6 spot in Australia's Test side still wide open, Lehmann provided a timely reminder of his attacking potency.
The son of Australian coach Darren Lehmann displayed a wide array of shots and needed just 112 balls to bring up his sixth first-class century.
For Lehmann, the experience of raising his bat at Australia's most iconic sporting venue was a moment to savour.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The 25-year-old had been looking forward to occupying the dressing room where Richmond superstars Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin celebrated their AFL grand final triumph.
"We come here and we love walking out and I guess just admiring the ground and the place," Lehmann said.
"We were talking about Richmond a couple of weeks ago ... imagine sitting in the same rooms as Cotchin and Dusty and all that, thinking about what they were doing.
"It's just a great atmosphere at the MCG, so to get my first century here was really good."
His first-class average of 41.60 stacks up well against other No.6 contenders, but it would be a surprise if Lehmann pushed his way into contention for the first Test in Brisbane.
Victorian captain and Australian batsman Peter Handscomb said he was expecting Lehmann to force the hands of selectors at some point in the near future.
"I think at some stage, yeah, he could definitely play international cricket, whether it's this year, next year or the year after," Handscomb said.
"He's a class player and he's made runs against us a fair few times now.
"I think if I was in his shoes, he obviously would want to be consistent and each game be making runs."
Lehmann downplayed his Ashes selection chances, adding that he wasn't expecting to hear much either way from his old man.
"We're pretty relaxed in our relationship around cricket," Lehmann said.
"We chill out and have a beer together. To be honest with you, there's not a lot of cricket chat.
"There's a little bit of banter and stuff like that. He sent me a message straight away today just saying 'You should have got a big daddy hundred today'. It's good fun."
