Kent County Cricket Club has bolstered its wicketkeeping ranks with the signing of Chris Benjamin from Warwickshire on a three-year contract. The 25-year-old South African-born player, who holds a British passport, has impressed in limited opportunities for the Bears and in the Hundred.
Benjamin’s breakthrough came in the 2021 Hundred, where he was drafted as a replacement player for Birmingham Phoenix. Despite having played only one senior T20 for Warwickshire, he made an immediate impact, scoring 24 off 15 balls to guide his team to victory. He continued to feature regularly in the tournament’s first three seasons.
In first-class cricket, Benjamin made a century on debut for Warwickshire but has had limited opportunities in the longer format. He has made 10 appearances for the county, averaging 22.23.
Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, expressed his delight at securing Benjamin’s services. “We’re delighted to have attracted a player of Chris’ talent to Kent on a long-term contract,” Cook said. “He is still a young player with a lot of potential to improve further, and we’re pleased to Kent to be the place for him to do so.”
Benjamin, who moved to the UK in 2018 to study, is excited about the opportunity to play regularly for Kent. “I’m excited to be joining Kent and having the opportunity to play regularly across multiple formats,” Benjamin said. “There is a young squad here that will only improve over time, and there’s a clear plan for Kent to return to the highs of their recent successes in the future. It’s an exciting project to be a part of.”
Benjamin’s arrival will strengthen Kent’s wicketkeeping options, with Ollie Robinson and Jordan Cox having left over the last two seasons, and Sam Billings signing a white-ball contract. The club’s keeper in Championship cricket this summer has been Harry Finch.
Kent were relegated from Division One of the County Championship earlier this month, finishing bottom of the table. They also finished last in the South Group of the Vitality Blast and seventh in Group A of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
