A left-handed batter,[1] Benson played for Kent for 17 years and represented England in one Test match and one One Day International in 1986.

[3] The family settled in Kent and Mark was educated at Sutton Valence school, and worked for a time as a marketing assistant for Shell.

[5] Benson made his first-class debut as a left-handed opening batsman in 1980 and was virtually an "ever-present" in the Kent side for the next fifteen seasons scoring over 18,000 runs (48 centuries) for the county.

Under his captaincy Kent were runners-up in the County Championship in 1992, Sunday League champions in 1995 (runners up in 1993) and Benson & Hedges Cup finalists in 1992 and 1995.

Brian Luckhurst named Benson as Kent's greatest post war opening batsmen and referred to him as "His generation's unsung hero."

Huw Turbervill, editor of The Cricketer, wrote that he interviewed Benson, thinking that he had been harshly treated by the England selectors.

Graham Gooch ... Chris Broad, Tim Robinson, Wayne Larkins, Martyn Moxon, Graeme Fowler, Kim Barnett and Gehan Mendis.” I was taken aback by what I perceived to be his lack of ambition ...

Whilst umpiring the second Test between South Africa and India at Durban on 28 December 2006 Benson had to leave the field, after suffering from heart palpitations.

Benson withdrew in the middle of the second Test match in November 2009 between Australia and the West Indies, amid speculation that he was upset with the referral system when one of his decisions was overturned.