7:00am Monday 30th August 2010
By Michael Reeves
WHEN this season began, Jack Shantry took one look at the Worcestershire bowlers and wondered just when his chance was going to come.
Senior seamers Alan Richardson and Matt Mason, providing they were fit, were always going to be director of cricket Steve Rhodes’ top picks.
Richard Jones had ended the last campaign with a flourish, Chris Whelan had shown how much he had improved from his inaugural year at New Road and Gareth Andrew was developing his worth with the bat as well as the ball.
Yet, Shantry, who was given his first-team debut last season, was handed the chance to impress in the university match against Bradford/Leeds MCCU.
And he didn’t let anyone down.
It may not have been recognised as a first-class fixture, but the 22-year-old walked away with career-best match figures of 12-65 (5-18 and 7-47).
Since then he has not looked back. Shantry was the leading wicket-taker in the Friends Provident t20 for Worcestershire, prior to yesterday’s match agains the Unicorns he was leading the way in the Clydesdale Bank 40 and has nearly 30 wickets in LV= County Championship as well.
But why? Shantry, who heads off to Australia this winter to play grade cricket for Sydney outfit Campbelltown, admits he is not the quickest, but what he lacks for in pace he makes up for with his surprising unorthodox action.
With his body almost falling over, his head is going the same way, the eyes don’t appear to be always open and the arms don’t seem to be going the right way either, so to get the ball in the areas he does is remarkable.
Bowling coach Matt Mason may not use Shantry’s action as a template for the young left-armer, but he won’t be looking change that action either.
“I think it is quite unique,” said Shantry, who signed a new three-year deal last week. “It definitely helps me being unorthodox.
“I haven’t got express pace, so my action, and being able to swing the ball away from the batsmen, helps me.”
The medium-pace bowler is one of a number of Worcestershire players serving their cricketing apprenticeships out in the harsh world of first-class cricket.
But he is also one of a number of youngsters to commit their futures to the New Road side following the likes of Alexei Kervezee, Ben Cox, Matt Pardoe and Neil Pinner.
“We have got some exciting young players in this squad,” Shantry said. “It is great to be a part of it all.
“We are all going to keep on improving — we know we are not the finished article yet.
“I know that some fans have been unhappy with some of the performances this year, but keep the faith, we have got good players coming through.”
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