Mitch of old puts on show at the Gabba

Mitchell Johnson has always been vocal about his love of the game's traditions, so it was appropriate that the left-arm quick's return to the Gabba was almost immediately marked by a very traditional dismissal.

Even if the format – a T20 showdown under lights between Johnson's Perth Scorchers and his former club, Brisbane Heat – was anything but.

From the third ball of the innings, he came over the wicket to right-handed opener Jimmy Peirson, pitched just short of a good length, and shaped it away ever-so-slightly to catch the edge through to first slip.

Quick single: Big Bash League finals scenarios

And he wasn't done there, following it up with another wicket in his second over to leave the Heat in early trouble and earn the figures of 2-7 after two overs.

He finished with 2-25, could have had three but for a dropped catch, and bowled with aggression and impressive control in perhaps the 35-year-old's best outing of the tournament. 

It's a little over four years since Johnson destroyed England at the famous Brisbane venue and that performance, which triggered one of the most dominant home summers by any Australian bowler in Test history, won't be forgotten any time soon.

How many of those who witnessed that spell that day were present again at the Gabba last night will forever remain unknown, but they were greeted by the same familiar loping stride to the crease and the slingy action that reaped 313 Test wickets through a glittering career.

While Johnson never officially retired from all formats at all levels of cricket, the decision to throw himself into the rigours of an elite, intense tournament such as the KFC Big Bash was a gamble.

Quick single: Tye takes hat-trick as Perth scorch Heat

Particularly when he had struggled in last year's Indian Premier League, at one point losing his place in the Kings XI Punjab side and finishing with just two wickets from three matches, while going at almost 10 runs per over.

So it's all the more impressive that, five matches into his BBL|06 campaign, he sits equal 10th on the wicket-takers list with seven victims at a strike-rate of 15.4.

"He's bowling really well," said hat-trick hero AJ Tye of his legendary teammate. "He's coming into the team and he's providing that extra bit of firepower.

"To open the bowling in David Willey's absence, it was a new role for him in this Big Bash so far, but he's done it beautifully so I think he might hold on to that now.

"We were looking for him to pitch it up and swing it early, so to get a wicket caught at first slip early was very handy."

Johnson, a Townsville boy originally and a former Queensland Bull, was also once a Heat player though national duties meant he never bowled a ball for the franchise.

Now a proud Perth resident, the left-arm quick also carries fond memories of the Gabba, where he took 34 wickets in seven Tests, and made his debut back in 2007.

Ironically, given the heights he scaled in his time in Baggy Green, he'd never played at the venue in front of a bigger crowd than the 34,677 who showed up last night – a new domestic record for the Gabba.

And the paceman duly put on the show the fans came to see, grabbing those two wickets, sending down no shortage of chin music and at one point even engaging in some verbals with Heat batsman Jack Wildermuth.

"I had a good view of that at mid-off," laughed Tye. "I'm not sure what was said but that's just Mitch, and when he gets involved and fired up like that, you know it's a good Mitch you've got on your hands that night."