South Australian leg-spinner Tom O’Connell signs with Premier Cricket club Monash Tigers

BUDDING spin-bowling star Tom O’Connell will call Monash Tigers home for the next three years as he pushes for a state debut.

Tom O'Connell sends one down for Sturt last season. Picture: Stephen Laffer

BUDDING spin-bowling star Tom O’Connell will call Monash Tigers his Premier Cricket home as he pushes for a state debut.

The promising South Australian leg-spinner was lured across the border earlier this year when Victoria offered the untried 18-year-old a three-year deal.

O’Connell enjoyed a breakout season with SACA Premier Cricket club Sturt in 2017-18, snaring a competition-high 47 scalps.

Monash coach Shannon Young said securing a slow bowler was high on their wish list.

Tom O'Connell lets one rip for Sturt. Picture: Brenton Edwards/AAP

“Obviously we haven’t had a leg-spinner in my time there, probably before that it was Brenton McDonald who played in the last premiership (2011-12),” Young said.

“A pretty talented young guy, we’d like to think that our environment, we’ve got 13 or 14 in the Cricket Victoria academy, three or four in the CA stuff so we like to think developing and helping guys reach the next level is what we are about.

“Ultimately it was about opportunity and obviously with us not having a leg-spinner means he is going to get plenty of opportunity to push for higher honours.”

While highly-rated, O’Connell is yet to play Second XI cricket at state level and was viewed by Victoria as the long-term replacement for dumped veteran Fawad Ahmed.

O’Connell will finish Year 12 in Adelaide but Young said he would be available for Round 1.

“There is big wraps on him but he is an 18-year-old kid … I’m presuming he’ll play a fair bit of (Victoria) Second XI stuff,” he said.

“It is a pretty big move for an 18-year-old kid to move state so obviously we’ll do what he can so hopefully he does play higher.”

The Tigers have also signed Blade Baxter, who has taken 100 scalps in 63 First XI games at St Kilda since 2012-13, and Dutch left-armer Fred Klaassen.

Klaassen has played four international T20s represented the Netherlands at the recent World Cup Qualifiers.