Nathan Lyon will look up at the Jack Fingleton scoreboard during this week's inaugural Canberra Test match and ponder how far he and cricket in his former city have come.
An apprentice curator at Manuka Oval for four years until 2010 when he moved to Adelaide, Lyon was at the Canberra ground when the push for Test cricket began 12 years ago.
He also played grade cricket just down the road and captained Wests UC, having moved from Young in south-west NSW to the ACT to join the territory's pathways program.
"Ten years later and playing in the first-ever Test match at Manuka Oval, where I used to work, it is pretty special," said Lyon ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting on Friday.
"I know I've got a lot of family coming over from Young. It's going to be a pretty special moment when we sing the national anthem out there.
"Especially when I get the opportunity to bowl out there. I've got a lot of history on the ground. It's one of my favourite grounds for obvious reasons."
Lyon is arguably the ACT's finest Test cricketer, although both Brad Haddin and Michael Bevan were born and raised in the nation's capital along with women's allrounder Kris Britt.
Lyon, who worked under current head groundsman Brad van Dam towards the end of his stay, should know the ground better than most in the Test.
While returns have been few and far between since, Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins played a Sheffield Shield match on the ground for NSW earlier this summer.
"It's all new, everything is new since I've been back," Lyon said.
"But Brad looks like he has done a fantastic job, it has a great coverage of grass, so I am expecting a really good cricket wicket.
"There is something there with the new ball if you are good enough to put it into the right areas and if you are good enough you will hopefully score runs.
"Hopefully it'll spin and if it is warm it is more than likely it will crack, I reckon."
