Benn clocks up overs in draw

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West Indies' towering left-arm spinner was given a 24-over spell on the final day against Leicestershire at Grace Road as the first step towards regaining his match sharpness before the opening Test at Lord's on May 6.

Bowling unchanged from before lunch until mid-way through the afternoon session, Benn was given the biggest workload of the final day as Leicestershire progressed from trailing by 87 overnight to finish 100 runs ahead on 238 for six when the two sides agreed on a draw.

His 25-over schedule - he was recalled for the final over of the day - was the clearest signal yet the tourists expect Benn to play a key role in the two-match series, which also includes a Test at Durham and a three match one-day international series.

Benn and the tourists have just two more warm-up matches - this weekend against Essex at Chelmsford and next week's four-day game against England Lions at Derby - before they assemble at Lord's.

By then they will have Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor, who are due to arrive later this week after overcoming niggles, and Indian Premier League pair Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards.

But in the intervening time, coach John Dyson has been encouraged enough by the dry pitch at Grace Road to order 6ft 7ins Benn to shoulder the majority of the workload in an effort to get himself in form for the bigger challenges ahead.

His efforts on the final day almost forced an early tour victory with Leicestershire losing three wickets in seven overs either side of lunch to briefly raise West Indies' hopes of success.