JACK Shantry is the ninth Worcestershire player since last August to sign a new contract to remain at New Road.

Shantry has been rewarded with a new three-year deal after a successful 2015 when he passed 50 County Championship wickets for the second year in succession.

The left-arm seamer had two years left on his current contract but has committed himself to the County until the end of the 2018 campaign.

The 27-year-old joins Joe Clarke, Ed Barnard, Joe Leach, Tom Fell, Brett D’Oliveira, Charlie Morris, Ross Whiteley and Tom Kohler-Cadmore in signing.

Shantry said: “It was very pleasing to see the other contract extensions of players for the good of this club’s future, like Joe Leach, Tom Fell and Joe Clarke.

“Nine of us have signed up since August and it shows the level of morale at the club, even though we had a difficult year in Championship cricket.

“People enjoy playing for Worcestershire and we’ve got a group here who are only going to improve. It’s nice to be shown that faith by the director of cricket Steve Rhodes and David Leatherdale (chief executive).

“It’s time to repay them over the next couple of years. I think this group of players will do that and we will go from strength to strength.

“We’ve made progress over the last few years. Last season was difficult. There were games we should and could have won but didn’t. That’s the steep learning curve of Division One cricket.

“This group of players will only get better. I’m very pleased and proud to put my name to Worcestershire for another three years.”

Rhodes said: “Statistically, if you look at what Jack did in Division One last season after what he did in 2014, he has been excellent with his wicket-taking and his economy and strike-rate has been very good.

“He is as honest as they come, has got a great record in terms of not missing games through injury and is one of the crop of bowlers we want to be part of things for us for a few years to come.”

Shantry has taken 232 first-class, 82 list A and 86 T20 wickets in his career to date.