Canterbury (UK), Sep 30 : English County Club Kent has acquired the services of wicketkeeper-batter Chris Benjamin from Warwickshire on a contract that will run until at least the end of the 2027 season. The 25-year-old had a breakout debut year in 2021, announcing his arrival during the inaugural edition of The Hundred with a match-winning innings for Birmingham Phoenix after only just signing his first professional contract.

He scored 127 on his debut in the County Championship for the Bears and has gone on to score 50 or more on multiple occasions across all three formats, including 50 on List A debut and 60 on debut in the Vitality Blast. He also has a T20 batting strike rate of 138.41.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Benjamin holds a British passport and qualifies as a domestic player.

On signing for Kent, Benjamin said: 'I'm excited to be joining Kent and having the opportunity to play regularly across multiple formats. 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.'

Kent's Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: 'We're delighted to have attracted a player of Chris' talent to Kent on a long-term contract. He is still a young player with a lot of potential to improve further, and we're pleased that Kent will be the place for him to do so.'

Kent faced relegation from the County Championship earlier this month, finishing at the bottom of Division One. Their struggles extended across formats, as they also ended South Group of the Vitality Blast at the bottom and seventh in Group A of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.

/IANS