West Indians, the dominant team in world cricket at the time. Before this match, he had taken only two wickets in as many first-class matches for the season. In the first innings Bennett made an unbeaten 16 in his team's 287, before taking 2/53 to help dismiss the tourists for 212, securing a 75-run lead. His victims were Gus Logie and the leading batsmen in world cricket at the time, Viv Richards. In the second innings, he made six as the hosts collapsed for 129 to leave the Caribbean visitors with a target of only 205. He took 6/32 in the second innings, his best figures in first-class cricket, including the wickets of opener Desmond Haynes, Richards and captain Clive Lloyd to give NSW victory over the tourists by 72 runs. In the next match, Bennett continued his barren run and went wicketless against South Australia, and was dropped from the state team. Test selection At the same time, the West Indies had won the first three Tests against Australia in a dominant fashion, and they had already sealed the series. The selectors brought Bennett into the team despite his lean form overall, because of his match-winning performance against the Caribbean tourists when they struggled against spin in the tour match. The fourth Test in Melbourne saw Bennett make his Test debut over the Christmas holiday period. While not taking a wicket and totalling 0/90 at almost four runs per over without managing a maiden, Bennett made 22 not out in the first innings and survived the final overs of the match with the bat, remaining on 3 at the end. Australia had two wickets in hand to end the West Indies 11-Test winning streak, then a Test record. For the fifth Test at the spin-friendly Sydney Cricket Ground, Bennett retained despite his wicketless debut and pair selected for the first time in combination with his NSW spin bowling partner, Bob Holland. The match unfolded in a manner similar to the New South Wales tour match. While Holland was the Player of the Match with 10/94 wickets, Bennett scored 23 and contributed 2/45 and 3/79. In the first innings, he removed wicket-keeper Jeff Dujon to claim his maiden Test wicket before removing Michael Holding for a duck to help finish off the tail. In the second innings, Bennett removed Richie Richardson and then bowled Richards for 58 with an arm