Cricket: Benjamin takes action to reach withering heights
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Your support makes all the difference.Worcestershire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192
Yorkshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196-4
Match drawn
KENNETH BENJAMIN gave a brief glimpse of what Worcestershire can expect of their new West Indies fast bowler with a seven-over burst against Yorkshire in the Brontean mist and gloom of Park Avenue yesterday afternoon.
All hopes of a positive finish were ruined by interventions which took more than two days, in all, from the match. Yorkshire resumed at 2.45 on a still sodden outfield, and damp pitch, needing another 79 to pass Worcestershire's 192 with all wickets in hand, Martyn Moxon and Ashley Metcalfe having completed their 21st century opening stand.
Benjamin came in gingerly from what was once the pavilion end but his whippy arm action, on a seamer's pitch, posed difficulties immediately. Metcalfe, looking in form, struck two boundaries before he was drawn forward to edge a sharp catch to second slip. Moxon, who had been the soul of discretion, opened his shoulders, in the next over, at Chris Tolley and was bowled. Richie Richardson, surprised by the pace off the pitch of Benjamin's first ball, then tried to cut Tolley and fell to first slip, while Richard Blakey, starting with a handsome cover drive off Benjamin, shaped to square cut and was neatly held at cover: four wickets for 12 runs in three overs.
Tim Curtis's hopes of a haul of bonus bowling points were blunted by an unbroken stand of 50 from David Byas and Craig White although neither had to face Benjamin (2 for 25 in his spell) after tea when Worcestershire settled for practice before the rain returned just before five o'clock.
Richardson will be disappointed with his scores so far: 52 (Benson and Hedges), 17 (Sunday League) and one. He appears against Hampshire at Southampton tomorrow to take on Malcolm Marshall, where Yorkshire will give a first-class debut to Chris Silverwood, 18, the right-arm fast-medium bowler from Kippax, in place of Paul Jarvis.
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