"He's not a massive turner of the ball, but he's a smart cricketer. He's an excellent fielder and got some really smart leadership capabilities. I think he'll turn into a real quality spinner," earmarked Gary Stead, Canterbury's coach about Jeremy Benton after roping the youngster in the 15-man squad for the club in 2016. Ever since making his T20 debut in December 2016, Benton's rise has been steady. So much so that exactly a year later, he made his list A debut for Canterbury against Otago in the Ford Trophy.

Having sparkled at different age groups and for his school team, Benton nailed his spot in the New Zealand U-19 side for the 2014 World Cup - where he showcased his all-round abilities. Scoring 187 runs with the bat and bagging 6 wickets in the tournament, the youngster grabbed eyeballs and in the next couple of years, Benton's career graph has seen an upward rise with him cementing his place for Canterbury.