Monsoons can reign

LAST year’s heartache will prove the catalyst for the Northern Monsoons’ pursuit of championship honours.

But while much of the squad has been retained for the Bulls Masters T20 Country Challenge, a group of young guns eager to make a mark could prove the difference.

Monsoons skipper Stephen Taylor returned to representative cricket in 2019 after a six-year absence, as family life and a weary body convinced him a rest was needed.

However the more he missed the game, the more he wanted to impress, and he did so emphatically in the 2019 semi-final against Far North Fusion.

Taylor’s gutsy 92 off just 53 balls guided his side to the final at the Gabba, but it was derailed by the Duckworth Lewis system in a rain-affected clash against Gold Coast Thunder.

The contest was as nailbiting as they come, with Monsoons needing to be 2-51 at the seven-over mark.

A direct hit run-out from Gold Coast ended Monsoons’ hopes when they were 2-50, chasing the final single to put them ahead of the game.

With seven of last season’s 12-man squad remaining, the fire is there to go one better and put the setback behind them.

Led by Jonti Grazioli, Taylor said he was excited by the calibre of young talent they had added to the squad this time around, and they could be the key to going deep into the tournament.

“Experience counts for a lot, especially in this type of tournament, but there are a handful of young guys coming through. There’s a bit of youth, and they all look like promising cricketers so it will bring enthusiasm on the field,” he said.

“It’s the short form of the game, as we found out last year it’s not hard to back up but towards the back end it helps having those young guys with a bit more enthusiasm.”

With the Challenge to begin next month, Taylor will go into it down on game time, but high on motivation.

MONSOONS BULLS MASTERS T20 COUNTRY CHALLENGE SIDE

Stephen Taylor (c), Jaidyn Spina, Chris Gartrell, Justin Dixon, Craig Mcelligott, Jonti Grazioli, Guy Brooks, Travis Busch, Brendan Haylett, Jack Raffles, Adam Zabala, Daniel Gartrell.