Katich is impressed with Benn

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – Australian opener Simon Katich who registered his

fourth Test century on the third day of the Third Digicel Test in Barbados gave

credit to rookie left arm spinner Sulieman Benn for his perseverance on a day

when the West Indies bowlers toiled and picked up only three wickets as the

visitors piled on 295 runs.

Sulieman Benn at the Saint Lucia leg of the Scotia bank cricket experience (robertson s. henry photo)

“The left arm spinner bowled pretty well, he set some pretty good fields and he

gets a bit of bounce,” said Katich who went to bed on an unbeaten 148.

The lanky 26-year-old Benn is playing in his first Test on his home ground and

the second in his career, after making his debut in Guyana against Sri Lanka

earlier in the season when he took three wickets in that game and showed

potential with the bat lower down the order.

In the first innings here in Bridgetown, Benn picked up the wicket of

wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (32) via the lbw route. In addition, so far in the

second innings he has accounted for Michael Hussey for 18 to have figures of

one for 107 from 36 overs, five of which were maidens.

Katich also said that the West Indies fast bowlers must be commended for their

tireless work all throughout the 2008 Digicel Homes Series, but that their

batsmen did not always give them full support.

“The quicks stuck to their job as well, they stuck to it all series, if anything, they

are pretty disappointed with them getting (216) yesterday,” the left-hander told

journalists at the end of the third day of at the Kensington Oval’

Australia was comfortably in charge, on 330 for 3, an overall lead of 365 with two

days remaining in the final Digicel Test of the three-match series, which Australia

leads 1-0 after their victory in Jamaica and a draw in Antigua.

“Their bowlers have stuck at it reasonably well throughout the series and would

have hoped for a few more runs,” Katich reasoned.

Katich who is opening the Australian innings in place of the injured Mathew

Hayden, said that a bit of negative bowling by West Indies captain gave him

confidence that they were comfortably in charge.

“There were periods (when Chris Gayle was bowling wide outside off stump)

where you felt if you didn’t take any risks, try and work ones and two, you feel

you are on top and in control of the game,” Katich revealed. (COURTESY-:

digicelcricket.com)