SCOTT Styris says he is determined to once again help fire Essex to the Twenty20 Finals Day — but this time he is determined to play a part in the showpiece event.

The 35-year-old all-rounder play-ed a major part in helping the Eagles reach the Rose Bowl last year, but then had to miss out on the day because of an international call-up.

The New Zealander returned to the county this week following a succesful spell in the IPL, and says this time he wants to take to the field at the competition’s finale at Edgbaston in August.

He said: “I was in Sri Lanka with the New Zealand team when the final took place last year. I watched on TV and it was disappointing to see us lose in the semi.

“You do all the hard work with the team and you see the highs and the lows, and to then not be there at the end was disappointing.

“At the end of the day we all play to win titles, to win cups and championships. And to not be there and for Hampshire to win — who we had already beaten twice — was a bitter pill to swallow.”

Styris — who revealed he could also play in a couple of CB40 games this season — said he started talking about a return to Essex at the end of his spell with the club last year.

His wife and daughter have travelled with him to Essex, and he said it was an “easy decision” to return to a place where he has made many friends.

He says he does not know exactly how skipper James Foster and coach Paul Grayson will use him, but hopes he can have a positive effect with both bat and ball.

Styris said with Graham Napier returing to the side following injury, it could pave the way for him to open the bowling, something he would be happy to do.

And he also said he is keen to impress with the bat, and still regards last year’s sensational unbeaten 106 against Surrey under the floodlights at Chelmsford as the best knock of his career.

He said: “I’d like to think I can repeat that sort of form again this year. The game against Surrey was great but I was just as pleased with my innings at Sussex in our last game where we needed a lot of runs and I contributed to us getting those.

“So my goals are being the guy at the end who helps us win matches rather than hitting 100s in front of the TV cameras.”