CRICKET ASHES SERIES - THIRD TEST: FOR CHRIS Tremlett this was the day his career reached a defining moment. Defining moments are often overrated, because most times it is still possible to wake up the following morning and address the errors of yesterday, but this time the sensation was overwhelming.

Succeed and England could celebrate the fact that a high-quality fast bowler had finally reached fulfilment. Fail and the memories of years of underachievement would insist he was no longer a chance worth taking, and cast what was left of his career upon the winter winds.

Tremlett, now 29, did not just succeed, he succeeded with powerful serenity, taking three of Australia’s top six in his return of three for 63 in 23 overs as England bowled out the hosts for 268 on the first day of the third Test.

When he was selected for the Ashes, Shane Warne had suggested Tremlett had the potential to be the best fast bowler in the world. And, for a while, as a scorching Western Australian sun fell upon him, nobody was talking of overstatement.

When he ran in to bowl his first ball, the second over of the morning, it would have been a brave judge who would have said with utter conviction that he would be capable of meeting the challenge. By the time he cleaned up Phil Hughes with his sixth delivery there was not a doubter in the place. The power of gentleness spread around the Waca.

It has taken a long time, but finally it was possible to look upon a player with such obvious physical attributes and state with utter conviction: “This is an England fast bowler.”

“People can say what they like about my temperament, but if you want something badly enough eventually you figure out what to do,” he said. “Maybe I have changed a little bit. I have grown up as a cricketer and I know my game a bit more. People can say what they want, and call me a gentle giant, but when I get the ball in my hand I try to be aggressive and positive. I feel fitter than ever, stronger than ever and I am very happy with my action. It is stronger than it has ever been.”

There were no lapses in concentration, no defeatist body language, no meek gazes into mid-distance, just the happy sight of a player who after years of heartache had finally got it together. He struggled a bit against Mike Hussey – those who watch him regularly for Surrey talk of a relative weakness against left-handers – but he bowled a Perth length, full enough to attack the edge, and prospered because of it.

The choice facing England in the third Test had been clear. Had they opted for reliability then Tim Bresnan would have won hands down. But Tremlett was the braver choice, an expression of faith, the sort of decision made by teams with confidence in their ability. He just had to play at the Waca.

Tremlett learned he was playing after England’s final net session. “When I woke up this morning I was very nervous, but after I bowled the first over and got the wicket I felt at ease,” he said. “It was a very enjoyable day. There was a green tinge at the end of the day and I think we made the most of it with the new ball.

“There was some bounce in the wicket and hopefully I proved myself the right selection. There has been a bit of frustration along the way, but I have worked hard to get to where I want to be.

“It’s only one innings. Hopefully I can back it up again in the second innings and win that game and go from there.”

In his first Test for more than three years, much was in his favour. This was not the lightning Perth pitch of old, but it was lively enough and offered just the sort of steep bounce that a supremely athletic, 6ft 7in fast bowler, at the peak of his powers, should have craved. And crave it he did. Not that there were any histrionics, just a smooth operator putting in a respectable shift.

First Tremlett got Hughes, swinging a ball back to expose hesitant footwork and bowl him through the gate. Michael Clarke was his second victim, an undistinguished jab at a rising ball, but the seam had been upright, the intent good.

His third wicket, that of Steve Smith, caught at slip by Andrew Strauss, also owed much to a timid stroke, but Tremlett will settle for that because when timidity has been mentioned, it has normally been in relation to his bowling.

Warne once gave Tremlett a signed copy of his autobiography with the inscription “I hope the penny has dropped”, a reference to his ceaseless attempts when Hampshire captain to up the Englishman’s aggression.

“I tried everything to get Tremlett to be more aggressive,” Warne wrote upon the fast bowler’s recall for the Ashes.

“But he was just a bit soft. He was a great fella but he needed to toughen up. His body language was awful. It took a move from Hampshire to Surrey for the penny to drop. If he has learned his lesson he could be the number one bowler in the world. He is that good.”