It was bittersweet for Shane Snater who following his first-class debut in the match against Worcestershire last week, marked his second red-ball appearance for the Club in the defeat to Nottinghamshire this week with career-best bowling figures.
Paceman, Snater was rewarded for his tireless persistence and perseverance with career-best figures of 7 for 98 from 26 overs to stake a claim for the upcoming home match against Derbyshire which begins on Thursday.
“It’s nice to take wickets and it was obviously great to pass my previous best figures,” he reflected. “I can’t really pick out any of the seven and say which gave me the most pleasure in particular, they were all pretty satisfying to be honest but overall, I’m just delighted to be taking wickets for Essex.”
Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 25-year-old is a prominent member of the Dutch side and made his Essex debut in 2018, playing in the Royal London One-Day Cup against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl.
Having also appeared in the title-winning Vitality Blast campaign in 2019, the player has been patiently awaiting his opportunity in the red-ball game and was finally given his county Championship debut at New Road just a couple of weeks ago.
Now, playing against Nottinghamshire in only his second game, he took his opportunity with commendable determination.
“I’ve had to be patient waiting for my first team chance in red-ball cricket but that’s understandable because Essex have been so successful over the years and so it’s a really hard team to get into.
“But, it’s nice to be a part of it and hopefully, I can carry on keep taking wickets and add something to the team.”
In December last year, Snater took 8 wickets in the Logan Cup competition for Southern Rocks back in his native Zimbabwe including 5 for 45, his previous best figures in the longer format, and he maintained impressive form when he returned for pre-season training with the county.
Essex Bowling Coach Andre Nel, the former South Africa fast bowler, was delighted with Snater’s performance at Trent Bridge.
“It’s nice to see him come through and he’s deserved the credit he got during the Nottinghamshire game for all his efforts and hard work he’s put in,” he stated.
“He’s put in a lot of effort off the field on stuff away from cricket and that’s actually benefitted him more on the field, so that’s been really good.”
“He always swings the ball and he is quite skiddy. Last year, he missed his length quite a lot but now he has nailed down how to bowl a consistent length more often and he always does something with the ball.
“He actually has the capability to bowl what you might almost call a “miracle” ball and he does that quite often.
“He bowled a lot outdoors in Zimbabwe, did well, and since he’s come back, he’s worked really hard and has really grasped what we want to do as a team and how he fits into our team plans.
“He has been really good in that sense, his attitude to training has been good and I’m really happy for him that he has been able to reap his rewards.”
