Born On This Day: 31st December

Winston Benjamin was born in Antigua in 1964, and replaced fellow West Indian Malcolm Marshall as Hampshire’s overseas professional after Marshall retired in September 1993.

Benjamin, age 29, had spent eight years with Leicestershire, where he enjoyed some successful days in Championship and limited-overs cricket – particularly with the ball, taking 237 first-class wickets at 26.84.

Benjamin’s three-year Hampshire career was hampered by fitness problems although he scored a fine century v Essex at Southampton (117) in May 1996, sharing a partnership of 178 for the 7th wicket with centurion ‘Adi’ Aymes.

One week later, with a couple of wickets and a few runs at Edgbaston, he played his final first-class match, and withdrew, injured again, although he did play in some limited-overs games that year. In his last match, as Hampshire lost a NatWest quarter-final, and playing only as a batsman, he top-scored with 41.

In his 11 first-class matches for Hampshire, he took 30 wickets overall with a best of 6-46 in the first innings at Worcester in 1994 – this was one of two, five+ wicket hauls for the county, but even then, he batted at number 11 in the second innings and was unfit to bowl.

He played in 21 Test Matches with a best score of 85 and best bowling of 4-46, and also played for minor county Cheshire in 1985.

Also today: Don Cartridge (1953-1954), Alfred Parvin (1885).