Worcestershire paceman and end of season promotion hero Jack Shantry has signed a new three year contract.
Shantry, who had one year left of his existing deal, has commited himself to the club until the end of the 2017 campaign.
The left armer has been rewarded after an excellent season in 2014 was capped off with his remarkable all-round performance in the penultimate game against Surrey which sealed a return to Division One of the LV = County Championship.
Shantry rescued a lost looking cause with a maiden first class century and 10 wickets in the game – the first player batting number nine or lower to achieve that feat in first class cricket.
It drew comparisions from the county's Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes with Ian Botham's performances during the 1981 Ashes series.
Shantry ended the campaign with 56 Championship wickets and 481 runs at an average of 28.
He was an integral part of the bowling attack in tandem with Charlie Morris, Saeed Ajmal, Joe Leach and Gareth Andrew but also scored important late order runs on several occasions.
Now the 26-year-old is looking to build on his performances in the top flight next summer.
Shrewsbury-born Shantry said: "I am delighted to commit my future to Worcestershire for the next three years.
"Since making my debut at 21, I have loved every minute of playing for the club, and last season's promotion was my most successful and enjoyable to date.
"The club is developing on and off the pitch and I want to be an important part of the team as we look to cement ourselves in Division One.
"I feel I can continue to improve in this environment and push for higher honours with the club."
Shantry has become the 11th Worcestershire player since the start of August to commit to a new contract or extension – 10 of them being Academy products.
Rhodes said: "In terms of plans and the club going forward, a really important ingredient is to re-sign or make sure our better cricketers are on longer deals and are going to be Worcestershire players because they are going to help us in the journey to being a successful team.
"Jack falls into that category and we are delighted he has extended his contract.
"Important ingredients for a bowler are to be fit and to stay consistent and because of the very fact Jack has stayed fit and consistent means you are getting an end result at the end of the season which is a good tally of wickets.
"One of the thing he does is make the most of every ounce of what he has got into making performances and that's a good trait to have.
"If you maximise every single bit of what you've got to do well, if all players did that we'd be in a really healthy state.
"He wants to make sure he contributes for the team with the bat as well as the ball.
"He is an important person in the squad as well because we are a very young squad. Although he is not an elder statesman, Jack is now one of the older and more senior players.
"Next year is Division One cricket which is going to be a step up from this year and we are very optimistic that he can once again have as good a season as he had this year."
Shantry made his first class and List A debut for the county in 2009 and to date has taken 165 first class, 76 List A and 70 Twenty20 wickets in addition to scoring 1,070 first class runs at an average of nearly 20.
Image courtesy of Tony Marsh Cricpix
