West Indies left-arm Suleimann Benn bowls during the fourth day of the final Test against Australia, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, yesterday. - Dellmar

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

THREE WICKETS for 154 runs are hardly going to send any hearts aflutter or make West Indian cricket fans forget about legendary spinner Lance Gibbs.

However, Sulieman Benn's efforts in the second innings of the third and final Digicel Test against Australia at Kensington Oval may be significant not only for himself, but also a team which has shown itself to be reluctant to place its faith in a spinner for any great length of time since the days of Gibbs.

In only his second Test, the tall left-armer was clearly the pick of the home team's bowlers as Australia rattled up a massive 439 for five in their second knock.

Much-needed variety

The 26-year-old Barbadian bowled 47 overs and bothered the batsmen, particularly when bowling from the northern end, with his bounce and turn while also being relatively economical (3.27 runs per over).

Perhaps, more important, his ability to hold down an end for extended periods of time allowed the other bowlers to rest and he also provided much-needed variety to the all right-arm seam attack.

Fellow left-arm spinner Beau Casson, also a newcomer to the Test game, said he was impressed with what he had seen from Benn.

"I thought he bowled really well," Casson said. "He gets tremendous bounce and created some chances. He stuck at it well and to bowl 40-odd overs and get three wickets was a credit to him.

"I thinks he's a very good bowler and he certainly has some fun out there," he said.

Fairly or unfairly?

Benn, fairly or unfairly, was dropped from the side after his debut Test against Sri Lanka in Guyana earlier this year after match figures of 3-179. Against the Aussies, he finished with 4-187, which also doesn't look particularly flashy.

The bare figures, though, don't tell the whole story. Benn, who is also a useful lower-order batsman and quality gully fielder, provides this young and growing team with much-needed balance.

Hopefully, the selectors, against their history and ingrained instincts, will persist with Benn for more than a Test or two and will be willing to ride through the rough patches he will invariably go through because the team seems to look better with 'Big Benn' in it.