TO Dale Benkenstein having to carry the label of "Kolpak signing" is a small price to pay for the opportunity to live and play in Durham.

The 30-year-old South African one-day international has already made his mark, especially with his all-round performance in Sunday's thrashing of Surrey in the totesport League.

By scoring 63 in difficult circumstances and taking four for 16 he has shown the fans the value of bringing experience into a young side, even if he might be keeping out a local lad.

The EU's trade agreement with South Africa means anyone can be signed from that country without being considered an overseas player and Benkenstein said: "I realised it could give me the chance to do something I've always wanted to do.

"I got in touch with an agency in London last summer and said I was available. They fixed me up with a second team game for Durham and I was fortunate enough to score a hundred. They were keen and so was I, so I'm here on a three-year contract."

Although he is from a sporting background, Benkenstein insists the real sports person in his family is his wife Jackie, who played 101 Tests for South Africa and went to the Sydney Olympics.

She now looks after their two-year-old daughter Gabrielle and five-month son Luc and they have settled in Newton Hall, near Durham City.

"The whole area is beautiful and we are very happy to be here," said Benkenstein, who has played and coached in Canada but has spent most English summers since 1993 playing as a club professional at places like Pudsey St Lawrence, Kendal and Burnley, where he played with a young James Anderson. His father, Martin, was born in Johannesburg but went to Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe - at a young age when Dale's grandfather became a headmaster there. His mother is Rhodesian and they lived there until Dale was six, when they left for Natal following independence.

Martin played for the Rhodesian senior side at 18 as a top order batsman but concentrated on business once he got to South Africa as there was no money in the game because of the country's isolation.

But he later turned out in the same club side as his three sons - Dale has twin elder brothers, Brett and Boyd.

"Most of the top players in South Africa have come up through a very strong school system," said Dale. "I learned the game at Michaelhouse School then played for Durban High School Old Boys and Natal, where we had Malcolm Marshall as the professional for two years when I first started. He was great for me at that stage. He had an incredible mind for the game."

Benkenstein is a strong candidate to captain Durham later in the season when Mike Hussey is away with the Australian one-day squad.

"I have been captaining teams most of my career and did it for eight years with Natal until I gave it up last season," he said. "I was still enjoying it but it was starting to become more of a pain than a pleasure and I decided it was time to help a younger man come through. Hashim Amla is the captain now and he's someone you're going to hear a lot about.

"I was in the South African one-day squad for a long time but only got to play 23 games and didn't play a Test match. It was a great honour to be involved but it was quite frustrating because I didn't get the opportunities I would have liked. It was a very strong side and they were winning, so as a captain I understood that's the way it goes.

"With a young family my life is not just about cricket now, but the opportunity to play for Durham has given me fresh motivation.

"It's been a great start, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. People say the county season is a long, hard slog so we have to make sure we maintain our form."

The pitches Durham have played on so far this season, including the one at Grace Road, Leicester, have favoured seam bowlers and have been quite different from those in South Africa.

When Benkenstein went in on Sunday Durham were struggling at 45 for three and he said: "Martyn Moxon had told me just to make sure I batted for ten overs and gave myself a chance to get in rather than worry about the run rate.

"We were aiming for a minimum of 180 but felt 220 would be a really good total and we ended up with 224. A bit of experience helps because at first in those circumstances you don't think you can get a run. But I'd been told they were a bowler short, so even though I didn't know who it was I had an idea their fifth bowler would give us a chance to take him on.

"Everything worked out well and Gordon Muchall played brilliantly. With my bowling it was just one of those days when things go your way with all the catches going to hand. You have to enjoy them when they come along.

"At my pace you have to mix it up a bit. I have bowled some off-spin in the past, but now I stick to medium pace and when the pitch is slow I bowl more off-cutters.

"Playing northern club cricket may have helped me get used to these conditions. County pitches are obviously better, but you don't get as many bad balls to hit.

"If the pitch is helping the bowlers you have to mentally get around it and believe it's going to be your day. Mike Hussey has been really good as a captain in making us believe we can do it no matter what the conditions.

"His innings of 253 at Leicester was phenomenal and Paul Collingwood did really well to make 129 on a difficult wicket against Worcestershire.

"Everyone would love to have a guy like Steve Harmison in their side because he can bowl spells which destroy teams, but it's not just the internationals who have impressed me.

"Everyone is doing their bit and working hard. In every game someone else has come up and produced the goods.

"That's always a good sign, and having such strength throughout the team should mean it's going to be a really exciting season."

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