JACK Shantry had a rude awakening when he first watched himself bowl on television.

Until then, the left-arm seamer always thought he bowled a bit like Brett Lee in reverse.

Presented with the hard evidence, the youngster was forced to accept his unique action was not quite so textbook.

Not that his unconventional approach has held him back in nearly a decade in the county game with Worcestershire.

Shantry has claimed more than 250 first-class scalps and don’t bother trying to goad him for his ugly approach – he has heard it all before.

“My path was not straightforward, I was not in any county academies so went under the radar and played minor counties. I had no real coaching on my action,” he said.

“I thought I bowled a bit like Brett Lee before I saw myself on television for the first time and thought 'that’s a bit different'.

“There was not much pressure but had I wanted to change I don’t think I could have managed it. It is so idiosyncratic, it is not like a bit of tweaking here and there, it would have been a massive change.

“I still get stick now but it is water off a duck’s back. You get it from spectators, other players, team-mates, even family. Whoever wants to have a dip.

“But cricket is a number’s game and if you are performing and can point to the scoreboard then that’s the way to deal with it.”

With a brother and father who both played professionally, Shantry had long dreamed of a career in the game but feared his chance would never come.

“Cricket was not what I had planned for my career, I was at university,” he added.

“I came into the system almost by mistake and by then I focused on the outcome rather than how it looked in the first place.

“I got to the age of 21 and had not played first-class cricket which is late for a bowler

“And I bowled only 75mph so I presumed I wouldn’t get a chance. When it came I grabbed it with both hands.”

A back problem has kept him on the sidelines as the Pears have struggled with the red ball back in Division One but one of Shantry's main aims is to get Worcestershire to a Lord’s final in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

“The idea of playing in front of a packed house at Lord's is the pinnacle,” he added.

“It’s different to four-day and t20, it’s a great spectator sport and we are hoping to go all the way this year.

“We got to the semi-finals last year and fell just one hurdle short of getting to Lord’s.

“We think our side is quite suited to this competition, we have a nice mix with the bowlers and our batters have historically been quite strong.

“We have not had the most ideal start back in Division One so we will look to start with a bit of form in this one.”

n Royal London, proud sponsors of one-day cricket, celebrates unconventional greatness in the game by championing the independent spirit of players like Worcestershire Rapids’ Jack Shantry.