Winston Benjamin
{{short description|West Indian cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Winston Benjamin
| image =
| country = West Indies
| fullname = Winston Keithroy Matthew Benjamin
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|12|31|df=yes}}
| birth_place = All Saints, Antigua and Barbuda
| nickname = Private
| height =
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm fast
| role =
| family =
| international = true
| internationalspan = 1986–1995
| testdebutdate = 25 November
| testdebutyear = 1987
| testdebutagainst = India
| testcap =
| lasttestdate = 29 April
| lasttestyear = 1995
| lasttestagainst = Australia
| testshirt =
| odidebutdate = 17 October
| odidebutyear = 1986
| odidebutagainst = Pakistan
| odicap =
| lastodidate = 28 May
| lastodiyear = 1995
| lastodiagainst = England
| club1 = Leeward Islands
| year1 = 1985–1995
| club2 = Leicestershire
| year2 = 1986–1993
| club3 = Hampshire
| year3 = 1994–1996
| columns = 4
| column1 = Tests
| matches1 = 21
| runs1 = 470
| bat avg1 = 18.80
| 100s/50s1 = 0/2
| top score1 = 85
| deliveries1 = 3,694
| wickets1 = 61
| bowl avg1 = 27.01
| fivefor1 = 0
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 4/46
| catches/stumpings1 = 12/–
| column2 = ODIs
| matches2 = 85
| runs2 = 298
| bat avg2 = 7.45
| 100s/50s2 = 0/0
| top score2 = 31
| deliveries2 = 4,442
| wickets2 = 100
| bowl avg2 = 30.79
| fivefor2 = 1
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 5/22
| catches/stumpings2 = 16/–
| column3 = FC
| matches3 = 171
| runs3 = 3,985
| bat avg3 = 22.51
| 100s/50s3 = 2/21
| top score3 = 117
| deliveries3 = 26,876
| wickets3 = 476
| bowl avg3 = 25.96
| fivefor3 = 23
| tenfor3 = 2
| best bowling3 = 7/54
| catches/stumpings3 = 95/–
| column4 = LA
| matches4 = 222
| runs4 = 1,725
| bat avg4 = 14.13
| 100s/50s4 = 1/4
| top score4 = 104*
| deliveries4 = 10,716
| wickets4 = 263
| bowl avg4 = 26.61
| fivefor4 = 5
| tenfor4 = 0
| best bowling4 = 5/17
| catches/stumpings4 = 46/–
| date = 20 October
| year = 2010
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1867/1867.html Cricket Archive
}}
Winston Keithroy Matthew Benjamin (born 31 December 1964) is a former Antiguan cricketer who played 21 Tests and 85 One Day Internationals for the West Indies. He is the father of Olympic gold medalist hurdler Rai Benjamin.{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsmax.tv/index.php/athletics/item/20037-antiguan-star-athlete-switches-allegiance-to-usa |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123223337/https://www.sportsmax.tv/index.php/athletics/item/20037-antiguan-star-athlete-switches-allegiance-to-usa |archive-date=23 January 2019 |title=Antiguan star athlete Rai Benjamin switches allegiance to USA}}
Domestic career
Benjamin originally burst on the scene in 1985 when he was given a Viv Richards scholarship to England in 1985. He played at Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club in the highly rated Liverpool Competition and finished the season with 106 wickets at an average of 7.57, a best of 8-20 and five or more wickets on eleven occasions. Chester Boughton Hall finished the season as champions.
This drew the attention of Leicestershire in the County Championship where he played from 1986 to 1993 before moving to Hampshire from 1994 to 1996.
International career
He made his Test debut against India at Delhi on the 1987–88 tour. After eight Tests he was left out of the team until 1993, when he played consistently for two years, but he was dropped again after Australia's 1994–95 tour and never returned to the side.
Benjamin took 39 wickets at an average of 19.30 in his first 11 Tests, though his final ten appearances yielded 22 scalps at 40.68.
He played more regularly in the shorter format of the game, and was a fixture in the side from his debut against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1986–87 until West Indies' 1995 tour of England.
Coaching career
After his playing career at the highest level was over, he acted as coach for the Leeward Islands, but was sacked in June 2005. Now he is a coach for a leeward island (Antigua) at the Clare Hall Secondary School.[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/212359.html] Leewards sack Benjamin, 1 July 2005, retrieved 16 March 2007
References
{{Reflist}}
{{West Indies Squad 1987 Cricket World Cup}}
{{West Indies Squad 1992 Cricket World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin, Winston}}
Category:Antigua and Barbuda cricketers
Category:West Indies Test cricketers
Category:West Indies One Day International cricketers
Category:Expatriate cricketers in England
Category:Leeward Islands cricketers
Category:Leicestershire cricketers
Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Antigua and Barbuda