Kenny Benjamin

Kenneth Charlie Griffith ("Kenny") Benjamin (born 8 April 1967) in St John's, Antigua, played 26 Tests and 26 One Day Internationals for the West Indies.^[1]

A right arm fast bowler, Benjamin spent much of his international career bowling alongside Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. He made his Test debut in their side's first ever Test against South Africa, in 1991–92. He never really made a name for himself until a spell of 6–66 against England in 1993–94 which he followed up with seven wickets in his next Test, finishing the series with 22 wickets.

After a playing career that included spells in English and South African domestic cricket, Benjamin coached the United States cricket team.^[2] While playing for Kendal in England's Lancashire League system, Benjamin was also contracted to coach schoolchildren, one of whom, Will Greenwood, went on to play international rugby for England. Greenwood remembers Benjamin's unique approach to keeping his young pupils attentive:

"If you were foolish enough to horse about, he'd bowl at you, coming in off just one yard and fire down the fastest ball you ever faced. He would then walk down the wicket, and, in a lazy West Indian drawl, say, "Don't mess about in my net sessions"."^[3]

Michael Vaughan, in his autobiography, gives credit to "scary" time spent facing Benjamin in the nets, as formative in his development in facing fast bowlers. Aged 14, Vaughan made the first team at Sheffield Collegiate, for whom Benjamin also played.^[4]

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