He defined an era with conviction and sincerity. The selectors persisted in Benaud despite his unproductive Test performances, selecting him for the squad for the 1953 Ashes tour of England. Tony Abbott offers family a state funeral for the former Australian leg-spinner, cricket captain and commentator. [19] Even so, he was promoted to vice-captain above several senior players when Ian Johnson and Keith Miller missed the 2nd Test at Sydney through injury and Arthur Morris was made temporary captain. He spent two weeks in hospital for the surgery. Some tedious contests had been inflicted on the watching public, with more to follow in the 1960s. He scored 817 runs including four centuries, two of them in Test matches. "He was an integral part of the BBC team for decades and will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him.". This was exhibited in the 196061 Test series against the visiting West Indians, in which the grounds were packed to greater levels than they are today despite Australia's population doubling since then. Vale Richie: Greg Benaud, 60, and his younger brother, Jeffrey, were very happy to be invited by Richie's second wife Daphne to attend the private funeral in April, for which Greg quipped he would have haircut, a shave and don a suit to farewell his Dad, 'I want to respect Jeff's privacy,' he said. However, cricketers like Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Michael Clarke among several others visited his commemoration service on the same day. from around the world following the news of Benaud's death. [7] This was part of a month-long run in which he made only 123 runs in eight innings and took only seven wickets in four matches. We'd have baked dinners on a Sunday at their houses.'. In 1963 he became the first player to complete the Test double of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs. He ended the Test series with 15 runs at 3.00 and two wickets at 87.00. Here is all you want to know, and more! Following the divorce hearing in the NSW Supreme Court, Richie Benaud was required to pay Marcia and her sons ten pounds per week. I know Mum found it difficult to live on ten pounds a week. Richie Benaud was the captain of the Australian team that was in charge of the Australian side which featured in Test cricket's first-ever tied match, against the West Indies in 1960-61. He made 124 runs at 20.66, making double figures in four of seven innings, but was unable to capitalise on his starts, with a top score of 45. In addition to his accurate probing consistency, he possessed a well-disguised googly and topspinner which tricked many batsmen and yielded him many wickets. Benaud, whose witty one-liners from the commentary box resonated far beyond. He made 140, in a seventh-wicket partnership of 255 in just 176 minutes, an Australian record that still stands. Benaud was the first man to achieve 2,000 runs and 200 wickets at Test level. EXCLUSIVE: Head teacher of leading grammar school is sacked for sending parents a list of striking teachers. [6], In November 1948, at the age of 18, Benaud was selected for the New South Wales Colts, the state youth team. Will always be remembered and admired. Time and again he and fellow bowler Alan Davidson took the opposition by storm, and the Australians, led by 22-year-old Ian Craig, finished the tour unbeaten. South Africa. Listen to impressionist Rory Bremner paying tribute to Richie Benaud. Richie Benaud cricketer (1930-2015) . This put him out of action until the last match of the season,[13] leaving him with little opportunity to impress the national selectors for his rise to international cricket. What an innings. He finished the first-class tour with 627 runs and 61 wickets at 23.54. Richie Benaud death. [7][14] Benaud ended his season with 97 and a total of 3/39 in an innings win over South Australia.[7]. 2. Marcia gave birth to their first son Greg in 1955, and Jeffery in 1958. [68] After Harvey led the team to victory at Lord's,[69] Benaud had an unhappy return in the Third at Headingley scoring two runs in two innings and taking match figures of 2/108 as Australia lost within three days. His selection was frequently questioned in those early years, when much other flowering talent was evident in domestic cricket. Australia won the series 21, and although Benaud was below his best, scoring at 21.77 and taking 23 wickets at 33.87,[29][36] the series was a success for cricket. Marcia Benaud spoke of her past with Richie with laughter and tears, but said although she believed he should have never left their marriage she has made a life of contentment, politely responding that she was 'the first wife' if people asked about her name, Richie Benaud, pictured shaking the hand of Queen Elizabeth II, before the start of play during his Test cricket years, which his first wife Marcia said led to some delightful occasions, including her invitation to dine with the Queen on the Britannia when in Sydney. [93] Benaud was regarded as one of the finest close-fielders of his era, either at gully or in a silly position. [37] At this stage of his career, he had yet to perform consistently with bat and ball simultaneously, apart from his breakthrough series in the Caribbean. The lawsuit against Richie Benauds estate involves complex trusts and superannuation funds both in Australia and overseas, the NSW Supreme court was told on Friday. Benaud, Richard (Richie) (1930-2015) by Kersi Meher-Homji. His Australian cricket television commentary continued until it was brought to a halt by a car accident in 2013 and shortly afterwards he announced that he had skin cancer a legacy, he suspected, of his bareheaded days on the field. He chose to end his British commentary career, which spanned more than 42 years, when the rights to broadcast live Test match cricket were lost by Channel 4 to the subscription broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting. England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke said cricket had "lost perhaps its greatest advocate and someone who was a true giant of the modern game". 65/-. [29][36], Benaud took part in Australia's tour of New Zealand from February to March 1957. Richie Benaud's influence on cricket on and off the field is being lauded by players and fans alike, . [1], Gideon Haigh described him as "perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War. After 28 X-rays showed nothing, it was finally diagnosed that the crater in his forehead had resulted in a skull fracture and he was sidelined for the remainder of the season,[6] since a second impact could have been fatal. He scored 97 in Australia's only innings and then took 7/46 in the hosts' first innings as the Australians took an innings win. It was presented to his wife. [49] Benaud produced an all-round performance of 46, 5/91 and 4/82 in the Fourth Test in Adelaide to take an unassailable 30 series lead and regain the Ashes,[50] before scoring 64 and match figures of 5/57 to help take the Fifth Test and a 40 series result. Having helped Australia win the 1955 series in the West Indies (Benauds century in Jamaica, one of five in an innings of 758 for 8 still Australias highest total in Tests came in a mere 78 minutes), after four years and 27 Test matches it was felt at last that he truly belonged in the side. Australia never lost a series under the leg-spinning all-rounder's . [109] Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame incorporated impressions of Benaud into his stand-up repertoire. Kissing the bride was [tricky],' Marcia told Daily Mail Australia. Someone asked me, "Does that mean you'll never again go into the commentary box? In his three Tests he averaged just three runs with the bat scoring 15 runs over five innings and took two wickets for 174 before ending the long tour in glory with 135 in a festival match at a crowded Scarborough ground, hitting 11 sixes to equal the world record at that time. Coupled with his subtle variations in flight and angle of the delivery, he kept the batsman under constant pressure. [4] According to Neil Harvey, he also was the first captain who started hosting team meetings, a procedure now followed by his successors after he retired. [7] [25] After a draw in the Second Test,[26] he took three wickets in four balls to end with 4/15 in the first innings at Georgetown, Guyana, before scoring 68 (his first Test half century) as Australia moved to a 20 series lead. He helped the Australian team have the attitude where they wanted to win. She rushed to St Vincent's Hospital where he was having his mouth stitched. Benaud built his reputation as a commentator following an outstanding playing career in which he took 945 wickets in 259 first-class matches and made 11,719 first-class runs, scoring 23 centuries at an average of 36.50. He took 18 wickets in these matches, including 3/20 and 3/37 against Oxford University, 5/13 against Minor Counties and 4/38 against Hampshire. Cause of Richie Benaud death. They are Richie Benaud's secret first family, whose lives are far removed from the glittering sporting career the cricket legend led in the media spotlight before his death in April. The Cricket Player, Journalist Richie Benaud passed away at the age of 92. [59], Benaud had contributed 91 runs at 15.16 and 29 wickets at 19.59. Such guarded humour as he evinced bore the touch of a man who was keen to be seen above all else as discerning. Benaud took 3/116 to complement scores of 43 and 90 on his return in the Third Test in Sydney. More surprisingly, its patron until his death was Richie . [77], 196263 saw an English team under Dexter visit Australia. The world of sport reacts to the news that former Australia captain and broadcaster Richie Benaud died overnight at the age of 84. [41], In the Second Test at Cape Town, Benaud took 4/95 and then 5/49 in the second innings to secure an innings victory after the home team were forced to follow on. [8] Selected as a batsman, he scored 3 and 19. Despite this impairment to his bowling shoulder, his team played with an aggressive strategy leading them to lose only one Test match and no other matches during the tour, honouring his pre-series pledge. In November, he revealed he was being treated for skin cancer. Often bare-headed, and a somewhat stooping, rangy figure at the crease, he cracked a century in both the Johannesburg Tests, averaged 54 in the series, and took 30 wickets at a rate of just under 22 runs each in the five Tests. Richard Benaud OBE ( / bno /; 6 October 1930 - 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and the Australia national cricket team. [7] His only wicket was that of the all-rounder Trevor Bailey. Leading opposition batsman Everton Weekes edged Benaud in his first over, but Gil Langley dropped the catch. She said that after their split, Richie Benaud had preferred to keep his past quiet and that she was not encouraged to call 'Coogee', the name she used to refer to Richie and Daphne Benaud when they were in Sydney at their apartment. In 1960, he made his first radio commentary in the United Kingdom at the BBC, after which he moved into television. Marcia Benaud kept her surname 'for the sake of my sons. [5] Lou later moved to Parramatta region in western Sydney, and played for Cumberland. [38] Early in the tour, when the team visited Timaru to pay a minor match, Benaud went to a pharmacy to see if he could get something to soothe his spinning-fingers, which had been torn by his spinning action for many years. [111], It was announced on 15 November 2009, that Benaud had signed a three-year contract with the Nine Network to continue being part of their cricket coverage until 2013, although his role would change from that of ball-by-ball commentary. National Archives of Australia, A1200, L33209. On the way home Benaud finally fulfilled his potential by taking 7 for 72 (this remained his best Test return) at Madras to set up an Australian innings victory over India, the short series being sealed at Calcutta in the third Test when Benaud took 11 wickets for 105. He was the accompaniment of an Australian summer, his voice was even more present than the chirping of the cicadas in our suburbs and towns, and that voice, tragically, is now still. Benaud also used to live in Coraki, NSW. Richie proposed to Marcia and the engaged pair planned to marry on January 15, 1953, in between the third and fourth tests against the touring South African team. A petite and gracious lady with a merry laugh and a gentle demeanour, Marcia Benaud has lived a 'contented' life a world apart from the public life Richie Benaud led with second wife Daphne. By that summers end, with the beaten but popular West Indies having had a tickertape motorcade send-off in Melbourne, Richie Benauds own popularity was sealed. [4] He was appointed an OBE in that year and in 1962 was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. The tour saw his bowling talents come to the fore when he took 106 wickets,[40] surpassing the previous record of 104 by England's Sydney Barnes. [107], Benaud commentated for the BBC TV highlights of the 200607 Ashes in Australia as part of his continuing commentary work for Australia's Nine Network. A strong England party, led by Peter May, were widely expected to retain the Ashes. [78] Benaud started the series with seven wickets and a half century as the First Test in Brisbane was drawn. Renowned cricket broadcaster Richie Benaud passed away on Friday in Sydney. Birth date: 6 October, 1930, Monday. 'He likes to keep his privacy.'. "As a cricketer, commentator and as a person, you were the best there's ever been and, to top it off, an absolute gentleman. Benaud struck exactly 100 in the first innings, before taking 4/70 in South Africa's reply. Craig had fallen ill, and just when the senior player, Neil Harvey, was expected to succeed to the leadership, Benauds name was announced. But that'll be no more television commentary". Greg said he did not wish to discuss his brother Jeff, who is married with no children and is believed to have worked in marketing. [58] A further seven wickets from the captain in the Fifth Test saw Australia secure a draw and the series 21. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, After scoring 44 and taking 2/66 in the opening first-class match against Worcestershire, the all-rounder starred in his next match, against Yorkshire. In his later career, he added the flipper, a combination of the googly and top spinner which was passed to him by Bruce Dooland. Shane Warne, Australia's record wicket-taker, made a particularly heartfelt contribution.external-link, "Dear Richie, you were a legend on all levels and rightly so too," said Warne. Benaud had been battling skin cancer and recovering from the after effects of a car accident suffered . Richie Benaud dies aged 84 - rolling reaction The former Australia cricket captain and commentator, who played 63 Test matches, has died at the age of 84 Updated 9 Apr 2015 9 Apr 2015 Flags. Do not sell or share my personal information. The unprecedented public interest saw the Caribbean touring party farewelled with a ticker-tape parade by the Australian public. He had been seventh and eighth in the domestic run-scoring and wicket-taking aggregates for the season, but was yet to convert this into international performance. Menu! 'It was very, very difficult.'. By Candace Sutton for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 05:25 GMT, 2 October 2015 | Updated: 10:26 GMT, 2 October 2015. Richie Benaud, who has died aged 84, was perhaps best known latterly for his work as a global cricket commentator, with his distinctive voice, familiar fixed gaze, prominent bottom lip and. On Channel 4's live commentary, Benaud often made sarcastic comments regarding the advertisement of Desktop Richie. [29][36] The first two seasons of the Benaud captaincy had been a resounding success, with Australia winning eight, drawing four and losing only one Test. [79] This was followed by three unproductive Tests which yielded only 5/360 and a win apiece. ", said: "Farewell Richie Benaud. Link to video: Richie Benaud became a household name for a whole new generation when he moved from the oval to the commentary box. If I knew, when I was at school and playing in my early cricket days, the problems that would have come if I didnt do something about protection of the head and using sunscreens and all sorts of things like that, Id have played it differently. His father Louis, a third-generation Australian of French Huguenot descent,[4] was a leg spinner who played for Penrith District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket, gaining attention for taking all twenty wickets in a match against St. Marys for 65. [125] In 1999, he was awarded a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Sports Broadcaster. As a batsman, he was tall and lithe, known for his hitting power, in particular his lofted driving ability from the front foot. As the great cricketing icon toured the world with Daphne, dividing their timebetween their beachside Sydney apartment, their house in France and luxury hotels in England, Marcia claims that on more than one occasion she had to challenge Richie in court about payments for their two sons. He was buried on April 15 in a private funeral ceremony attended only by immediate family members. Richie Benaud had a thing for cars, starting off with a Morris Minor, graduating to Renaults when, as a lowly paid cricketer of the era, he took to advertising shaving cream, and the French cars with the jingle 'Renault for Benaud'. [114][115], On 29 October 2008, Benaud's mother, Irene, died, aged 104. [99], He openly criticised the actions by the Chappell brothers (Trevor and Greg) in the post-match reaction to the underarm bowling incident of 1981, proving his moral integrity far outweighed his unconditional patriotism for Australia. . [6] At the start of the 194950 season, he was still in the Second XI, but when the Test players departed for a tour of South Africa soon afterwards,[7] vacancies opened up. The cricketer turned broadcaster had been battling skin cancer and recovering from the after-effects of a car accident . [7], In the next match against South Australia, he made 48, took 4/93 and 1/29 and suffered three dropped catches by the wicketkeeper in successive balls. With his mellifluous, light delivery, enthusiastically imitated by comedians and cricket fans alike, Benaud also became the lead commentator on Australian television's Channel Nine from 1977. 254/-. [29][36], When Ian Craig fell ill at the start of the 195859 season, Benaud was promoted to the captaincy ahead of vice-captain Neil Harvey. Despite this, Benaud told chairman of selectors Don Bradman that he would still be going for an improbable victory in accordance with his policy of aggression. Richie Benaud Biography Richie Benaud Networth [citation needed], The First Test in Brisbane ended in the first tie in Test history, which came about after Benaud and Alan Davidson, rather than settle for a draw, decided to risk defeat and play an attacking partnership, which took Australia to the brink of victory. 'I watched all the broadcasts. Benaud was the first player to score 2,000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets yet was as renowned for his captaincy. [7] He was selected for an Australian XI match against England, in what was effectively a trial for Test selection, but suffered a chipped bone in his thumb. Benaud, born in Penrith, New South Wales, enjoyed a successful career as a wily leg-spin bowler and middle-order batsman. [30] His fielding, in particular at gully and short leg, was consistently of a high standard, in particular his acrobatic catch to dismiss Colin Cowdrey. Richard Benaud OBE (/bno/; 6 October 1930 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and the Australia national cricket team. CNN Former Australia cricket captain and legendary broadcaster Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84. In the previous seasons when he and his team were at their peak, he had scored 636 runs at 31.8 with taken 108 wickets at 20.27 in eighteen Tests, averaging six wickets a match. [84][85] The draw meant that the series was shared 11, the first time he had drawn a series after five successive wins. 'When I heard that it was serious and Greg told me he had got [the cancer] in its bloodstream, I accepted that whatever God decided to do would be right,' she said. Benaud went around the wicket and bowled into the footmarks, having Dexter caught behind and then Peter May bowled around his legs. [74] Benaud was the leading wicket-taker of the season with 47 at 17.97. [4] Benaud had the tendency to bowl around the wicket at a time when he was one of the first players to do so; it had an influence on spin bowlers like Shane Warne and Ashley Giles. In 1961 he was made an OBE for services to cricket. Last updated on 10 April 201510 April 2015.From the section Cricket. She kept me informed so that I knew when Dad was sick. Benaud's 5/13 in 25 balls instigated an English collapse which saw Australia retain the Ashes. At Adelaide, a nation was brought to a standstill during a long, pulsating last-wicket stand between Ken Mackay and the near-hopeless No 11 Lindsay Kline as they secured an unlikely draw for Australia. Three months later, Benaud married Daphne Surfleet and they embarked on a life of adventure in which Richie would cement his name in history and he and Daphne Benaud would forge an ironclad relationship that endured until his death last Friday. [20] Benaud struck an unbeaten 100 and totalled 1/64 in the next match against Western Australia before the Australians departed for England. [119] He died in his sleep on 10 April 2015. Nor have they sought the limelight occupied by their father. It was not the first time he had been hospitalised by a blow to the head. Australia had fallen to 6/92 on the final day chasing a target of 233 with Benaud and Davidson at the crease. Then came the 1953 tour, the first of three he was to make to England as a player. However, cricketers like Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Michael Clarke among several others visited his commemoration service on the same day. It is only a shame he did not get the send-off he deserved - the game of cricket has not had a chance to say goodbye, BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew told the broadcaster. Cricket great Richie Benaud dies at 84 In October 2013, Benaud, then 83, was involved in a car crash and did not recover sufficiently to broadcast the Ashes series and in November 2014, he announced he was been treated for skin cancers. He played the game the right way., Our country has lost a national treasure, Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said in a statement. 'I kept on seeing Dad throughout my life - occasionally,' confirmed Greg Benaud. [7], The 195152 season saw a tour to Australia by the West Indies. [100] He vacated the commentary booth when New Zealand was about to clinch a test victory at Lord's in 1999, allowing former New Zealand captain-turned-commentator Ian Smith to call the famous victory of his compatriots. This was enough for him to gain selection for the start of the Tests. During the interview, Ms Benaud revealed details her life with Richie before she was left 'devastated' when he left her to marry his second wife, Daphne. Tributes have been pouring in from around the world following the news of Benaud's death. Biography - A Short Wiki Benaud retired from international cricket in 1964 and turned to full-time cricket journalism and commentary, for which he already had runs on the board with the BBC. The next season saw the last of Benaud on the field of play, apart from some later charity matches and light-hearted private tours.
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