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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – If this turns out to be his final season in first-class cricket, former Proteas ODI performer Dale Benkenstein seems determined to sign off in style.
A few days short of his 37th birthday, Durham’s stalwart middle-order batsman is in rampant form at the crease, and second only to former England star Marcus Trescothick for weight of runs in County Championship Division One.
Trescothick, Somerset’s left-handed opener, has plundered 978 runs at an average of 81.50 in seven four-day matches, and seems hot favourite to get to the 1000-mark quickest: bear in mind that the English season remains some way short of even the halfway point.
But Benkenstein, having played one fixture more than his main rival at present, is also on a hot streak, having amassed 855 runs at 77.72, including four centuries and as many half-tons.
His form has been a key reason why the northeast county took over as Championship leaders last weekend, when they thrashed previous pace-setters Lancashire by an innings and 125 runs at Chester-le-Street.
The former Dolphins favourite scored 137 in Durham’s only required innings of 586, having scored 128 in the previous match against Warwickshire.
Earlier in the season he scored 150 against Yorkshire and 118 against Hampshire.
Benkenstein never played at Test level for South Africa, but his international career coincided with the leadership era of Hansie Cronje, and many tipped him as a quality alternative captaincy option should the need ever have arisen while the late Cronje was still “clean”.
He has been a model of consistency over several summers with Durham.
Cape Town – If this turns out to be his final season in first-class cricket, former Proteas ODI performer Dale Benkenstein seems determined to sign off in style.
A few days short of his 37th birthday, Durham’s stalwart middle-order batsman is in rampant form at the crease, and second only to former England star Marcus Trescothick for weight of runs in County Championship Division One.
Trescothick, Somerset’s left-handed opener, has plundered 978 runs at an average of 81.50 in seven four-day matches, and seems hot favourite to get to the 1000-mark quickest: bear in mind that the English season remains some way short of even the halfway point.
But Benkenstein, having played one fixture more than his main rival at present, is also on a hot streak, having amassed 855 runs at 77.72, including four centuries and as many half-tons.
His form has been a key reason why the northeast county took over as Championship leaders last weekend, when they thrashed previous pace-setters Lancashire by an innings and 125 runs at Chester-le-Street.
The former Dolphins favourite scored 137 in Durham’s only required innings of 586, having scored 128 in the previous match against Warwickshire.
Earlier in the season he scored 150 against Yorkshire and 118 against Hampshire.
Benkenstein never played at Test level for South Africa, but his international career coincided with the leadership era of Hansie Cronje, and many tipped him as a quality alternative captaincy option should the need ever have arisen while the late Cronje was still “clean”.
He has been a model of consistency over several summers with Durham.
