Triffitt earns second shot with Tasmania

Tom Triffitt has been given the chance to resurrect his first-class cricket career after being added to Cricket Tasmania's list of contracted players for the 2015-16 season.

The wicketkeeper-batsman is the third gloveman Tasmania have signed for the season, taking the total of wicketkeepers in the Tigers' squad to five, with Tim Paine and Ben Dunk being joined by star recruit Jake Doran from NSW, plus Queensland rookie Ben McDermott and now home-town player Triffitt.

Triffit said he was excited to return to state ranks.

"I'm pretty excited, it's been a big few years," he said. 

"It's time to sit down and reassess and tick off a few short-term goals."

Triffitt, a former vice-captain of the Australia U19 team that won the 2010 U19 World Cup, fell behind rival wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman in WA's pecking order and last played a first-class match in in October 2013, for a WA Chairman's XI against the touring English.

He then made headlines for the wrong reasons in January 2014 after he was sacked by Western Australia for an alcohol-fuelled incident in Brisbane during a Futures League match.

He returned home to Tasmania to lick his wounds and take stock of his life last winter, entering the real estate industry and playing local football, before making a comeback in the KFC T20 Big Bash League with the Melbourne Stars.

He has impressed enough – both with on-field exploits (87 runs at 21.75 and 10 dismissals in nine BBL matches) and off-field maturity – for Tasmania to offer him a second chance and hand him a Shield deal.

"I wouldn't change what's happenened," Triffit said. 

"I've had some good people around me. Sitting down when I first got back and setting some short term goals has worked out quite well for me."

He said he believed his best was yet to come.

"I think this is the best year I've had for quite a long time and most I've enjoyed my cricket.

"I'm a lot more focused this time around so I think it's going to work well."

Cricket Tasmania chairman of selectors Michael Farrell said the state was looking to rebound quickly from a below-par season, and had opted for a youth policy.

"We worked very hard this year to put together this squad and we have six rookies with the average age just under 20," Farrell said. 

"We have a good mix of youth and experience which is a good well-balanced position to be in.

"We have really strengthened the squad as far as youth goes and there is no doubt that the experienced players have to play well."

Triffitt was joined by teenage Tasmanian Riley Meredith as the last two players to fill the Tasmanian contract list for the 2015-16 season.