West Indies spinner Suliemann Benn warms up to bowl on the opening day of the first Test match in the Digicel Home Series against England at Sabina Park yesterday. Benn took two for 64 in a marathon 33-over spell. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Lanky West Indies left-arm spinner, Sulieman Benn, has admitted that recent talk around the region regarding the lack of top-quality spinners had him famished for wickets headed into the Digicel Home Series.

In yesterday's first day, the 6' 8" left-arm orthodox spinner gave a commendable perfor-mance, with figures of 2-64 and 10 maidens in a remarkable 33 overs.

"I am hungry to take wickets because there has been some talk about the lack of quality spinners in the Caribbean and I want to prove the people wrong," Benn told journalists at a press conference following play on yesterday's first day of the opening Test of a four-match rubber against the English at Sabina Park.

Won the toss

"I think we are ahead at the moment," said the Barbadian Benn as England, choosing to bat after winning the toss, closed the day at 236 for five.

"Five wickets is not bad, but you would like about six or seven on the first day because of the type of pitch," he said. "It is Test cricket and we just have to keep on pushing."

In somewhat unusual circum-stances, which saw the spinner introduced in the first hour of play on the first day, then brought back after lunch and almost finishing the day, the miserly Benn first claimed the wicket of Paul Collingwood lbw for 16 runs in the rain-affected period after lunch, when he and skipper Chris Gayle bowled in tandem and made scoring very difficult for the batsmen.

Play was held up for 22 minutes due to afternoon showers, but that would not affect the rhythm of the spinner, who would return to strike again later in the day by getting the crucial wicket of the destructive Kevin Pietersen, who was three runs away from his 16th Test century.

Patient innings

After a solid and somewhat patient innings, Pietersen had gone after the spinner on his first three deliveries, launching two fours and a six to accumulate 14 runs rapidly and add tension for the home crowd. Some patrons became uneasy and and started to voice sentiments that he was tiring and should have been taken out of the attack having bowled such a long spell.

Despair quickly turned to joy and Benn got sweet revenge when Pietersen, going for another powerful shot - a sweep to leg - was deceived by the flight of the ball and top-edged the fourth ball for a skier that led to an easy catch for wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

"I was very satisfied in getting his because he had hit me for 14 runs before that ball," said Benn, who in three Tests has taken eight wickets at an average of 58.62.