| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Emmanuel Benjamin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 February 1955 Jullundur, Punjab, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1978 | Punjab (India) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Bedfordshire (minor counties) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Tasmania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:CricketArchive,2 April 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Emmanuel Benjamin (born 2 February 1955),nicknamed Benji, [2] is an Indian-born Australian former professional cricketer who played at high levels in Australia,England,and India. He was the second Indian cricketer to play in the Sheffield Shield after Rusi Surti in 1982. [3]
Born in Jullundur, [4] Benjamin toured the British Isles with an India Schools representative side during the 1973 English season,playing six matches alongside future Test player Bharath Reddy and several other future first-class cricketers. [5] After playing for a North Zone schools side in the under-age Cooch Behar Trophy,Benjamin made his first-class debut in October 1973, [6] taking two wickets for a Vazir Sultan Tobacco Colts XI against a Hyderabad Cricket Association XI in the quarter-final of the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament. [7] A bowling all-rounder,he debuted for Punjab later that month,taking 5/37 on debut against Jammu and Kashmir, [8] and was a regular in Ranji Trophy teams through to the 1977–78 season. [9] His best innings figures also came against Jammu and Kashmir –6/51 in November 1975 to help bowl out the side for 167 in the first innings. [10]
Benjamin spent the 1980 English season playing for Bedfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship,a spell which included half-centuries against Buckinghamshire and Shropshire. [11] [12] His best figures in the competition,6/85,came against Suffolk in both teams' last match of the season,which was not enough to prevent a one-wicket loss after Suffolk's final three batsmen put on 89 runs (including 53 not out from Colin Rutterford). [13]
During the 1981–82 Sheffield Shield season,Benjamin played a single match for Tasmania,bowling 23 overs without taking a wicket. [14] Remaining in Australia,he had a long career for the Ulverstone Cricket Club at grade cricket level, [15] and became a naturalised citizen of Australia in 1991. [16]
A resident of Leith (near Ulverstone),Benjamin unsuccessfully contested the Division of Braddon for the Tasmanian branch of the National Party at the 2014 state election. He received 0.79% of first preference votes,while the party's candidates collectively received 2.16% on first preferences. [17]