Chris Benjamin, a Warwickshire wicket keeper-battler, has signed a three-year contract with Kent. Despite having just played one senior T20 for the Birmingham Bears, 25-year-old Benjamin gained notoriety when he was selected as a replacement player during the 2021 Hundred.
After helping Birmingham Phoenix over the finish line with a score of 24 from 15 balls, he played a significant role in the competition’s first three seasons. Benjamin had ten appearances for the county at an average of 22.23, but he only got a few opportunities in the longer format. Benjamin also struck a century in his first-class debut for Warwickshire.
His arrival will increase Kent’s options regarding wicketkeeping since Sam Billings has signed a white-ball contract while Ollie Robinson and Jordan Cox have also left over the past two seasons. Harry Finch was the team’s keeper in the cricket championship this summer.
“We’re thrilled to have brought a player of Chris’ caliber to Kent on a long-term deal,” stated Simon Cook, director of cricket at Kent. “He is still a young player with a lot of potential to improve further, and we’re pleased to have Kent as the place for him to do so.”
Benjamin was born in South Africa, but since relocating to study in 2018, he has played in the UK and is a British passport holder through his father.
Earlier this month, Kent was demoted from the County Championship and finished at the bottom of Division One. They also placed eighth in Group A of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup and last in the South Group of the Vitality Blast.