Warwickshire have signed batsman/wicketkeeper Chris Benjamin on a Rookie contract until the end of the season.
Benjamin has impressed for the Second XI this season and scored 149 from just 66 balls with 12 fours and ten sixes – a record for a Warwickshire Second XI player – in a T20 against Glamorgan at Newport last month.
The 22-year-old captained the Bears in their Second XI Twenty20 Trophy triumph at Finals Day at Arundel last week.
Benjamin first caught the eye of Warwickshire Second Team Coach Ian Westwood at an ECB trials day at Loughborough two years ago.
Westwood said: “I was impressed by Chris at the ECB trials early in 2019. COVID prevented things moving forward then, but he has spent a lot of time with us this season and has shown the qualities we look for on and off the field.
“He has fitted in really well and fully deserves his Rookie contract. He will be with us for the rest of the year so has a chance to push for a longer-term deal
“Chris is a hard-hitting, right-handed batsman capable of providing real power at the top of the order. He captained the Second XI to the T20 trophy last week and, with Vikai Kelley injured, kept wicket in the last few games of the competition. We will be working hard with him on his keeping in the months ahead.”
Ian Westwood
Johannesburg-born Benjamin has played two first class matches for Durham MCCU, where he studied finance and accounting.
He said: “It is a special moment to be awarded a Rookie contract by Warwickshire and this is a very exciting opportunity for me.
“I am really enjoying being part of the incredible environment at Edgbaston. The players and coaching staff have been very welcoming and now I just want to keep scoring runs and contributing as much as I can.
“Hopefully this is just the start. It would be a dream come true to build a long career at Warwickshire.”
