Reigning Birmingham League champions Shrewsbury have lost the services of Shropshire First Class cricketer Jack Shantry.

The Worcestershire left-arm seamer was Shrewsbury’s contracted player last season and made a handful of appearances in sealing an historic first premier division title success for his home town club.

But Shantry – who was playing his club cricket with Shrewsbury before earning a two-year professional contract with Worcestershire in 2009 – has now switched allegiances to division one Walmley.

“Jack’s a good player and it’s shame we won’t be able to call on him throughout the season,” said Shrewsbury skipper Ed Foster who declined to divulge the reasons for Shantry’s departure but insisted there were no hard feelings between the two parties.

“It means we won’t start the season with a contracted player but we do have the option of signing one as the season goes on if the opportunity arises.”

Foster did investigate the possibility of having another former Shrewsbury ace, highly-rated Leicestershire and England Lions batsman James Taylor, as the club’s contracted player.

That would have represented a major coup, but once Shantry’s position became clear it was too late to reach an agreement.

Warwickshire’s Tom Allin was another player Shrewsbury made a check on but the seamer, who spent 2009 at London Road, had already been allocated to Kenilworth Wardens.

By JAMES GARRISON