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. It was not the first time he had been hospitalised by a blow to the head. I used to go to matches and even went on the Hill in Sydney when he was batting with Norm O'Neill.'. "[94], After the 1956 England tour, Benaud stayed behind in London to take a BBC presenter training course. He became the first player to reach 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket, arriving at that milestone in 1963. He had managed, in the 14 Tests since then, 559 runs at 27.95 and 67 wickets at 24.98. Although the shoulder injury had affected him, Benaud did produce a memorable piece of bowling in the New South Wales match against England, taking 7 for 18, his best figures in first-class cricket. CNN Former Australia cricket captain and legendary broadcaster Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84. 'It's very different to what it is like now. Jeffrey Benaud is not involved in the court action Marcia and Greg Benaud have taken against Daphne Benaud in the Supreme Court. What an innings. I was devastated when he left.'. He finished the first-class tour with 627 runs and 61 wickets at 23.54. John, who played in three Tests, was 13 years younger. A strong England party, led by Peter May, were widely expected to retain the Ashes. Although Benaud preferred to avoid controversy, he waded in when covering Australias tour of the West Indies in 1965, taking eye-opening photographs of the fast bowler Charlie Griffith and writing of his concerns over the legality of the Barbadians action. Some famous Benaud phrases and one-liners: "It's gone straight into the confectionary stall and out again"", "And Glenn McGrath dismissed for two, just ninety-eight runs short of his century", Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said Benaud was "the iconic voice of our summer", while the Australian government has. In 1952-53 Benaud played against South Africa, recording a duck and having his front teeth smashed while fielding at gully in the Sydney Test, which coincided with his honeymoon. Source: Cricinfo, 22 December 2007. [105] It was also emulated by New Zealand broadcaster John Campbell. [5] Lou later moved to Parramatta region in western Sydney, and played for Cumberland. [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. [29][36][54] Benaud made a strong start to the series against India, taking 3/0 in the first innings of the First Test in Delhi, before a 5/76-second innings haul secured an innings victory. Benaud took 4/69 and 4/42 in the First Test in Dacca (now in Bangladesh), sealing Australia's first win in Pakistan. Greg Benaud had just turned twelve and his brother Jeffrey was nine. Richie Benaud death. Richie Benaud cricketer (1930-2015) . Ritchie Benaud pictured in 2004, when he was commentating for Channel 4. [12] Hassett struck 179 in four hours, and took 47 runs from Benaud's seven overs. Menu! [51] Benaud contributed 132 runs at 26.4 and 31 wickets at the low average of 18.83,[29][36] as well as his shrewd and innovative captaincy. [101] Some of his other memorable moments he commentated on included Shane Warne's "Ball of the Century",[102] Ian Botham's dominant all-round display during the 1981 Ashes,[97] Dennis Lillee overtaking Benaud's record for most wickets, and subsequent 300th and 310th wickets, and Andrew Symonds' tackle on a streaker. However, he did not have much success in his five games, taking only five wickets at 54.00. According to Eryk Bagshaw of The Sydney Morning Herald, Benaud had been in hospice care while. Aussie TV stands up for England", "12th Man Billy Birmingham on Richie Benaud", "Richie Benaud retires from all television commentary", "Richie Benaud signs new three-year deal with Channel Nine", "Richie Benaud dies: Prime Minister Tony Abbott offers a state funeral for cricket great", "Bon Voyage, 'Sir Richie': a teacher, a gentleman", "Voice of cricket happy to strengthen his French connection", "Richie Benaud A Marvellous Life 19302015 Full Episode", "Richie Benaud: time to say goodbye to cricket's permanent witness", "Richie Benaud: World pays tribute to cricket legend & commentator", "Richie Benaud family declines Australia state funeral", "Richie Benaud: Private funeral for cricket legend", "Richie Benaud obituary: the 'voice of cricket' was the game's shrewdest analyst", "Benaud, Gooch, Compton, Larwood and Woolley inducted into Cricket Hall of Fame", "Marvellous Richie Benaud becomes the 40th Legend of Australian sport", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richie_Benaud&oldid=1141586246. Benaud went on to dismiss tail-ender Alf Valentine for his first Test wicket, conceding 14 runs from 4.3 overs. His final commentary in England came during the 2005 Ashes series, but he continued to work for Channel Nine in Australia until 2013. Richie Benaud dies aged 84 - rolling reaction - the Guardian 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. Richie Benaud was a pioneering leg-spin bowler In the memorial booklet, Benaud's family described him as "a special person who means so much to each of us in many different ways". 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. Richie Benaud, pictured during his touring days as Australian Test captain had an interest in cars, particularly Renaults and Sunbeams, and passed that interest down to his sons Greg and Jeff, Richie Benaud (pictured) married his second wife Daphne, an ardent cricket fan, in 1967 and together the couple forged a remarkable partnership during which the former Test captain became a legend behind the microphone. Richie Benaud Death Anniversary: Lesser-known Facts About the 'Voice of He finished the innings with 6/70. UPDATE 1-Cricket-Reaction to the death of the 'Voice of Cricket' Benaud [24], Australia's selectors persisted and selected him for the squad to tour the West Indies in 195455. Benaud contributed 46 and match figures of 2/73 in a First Test victory at Kingston. [84][85] The draw meant that the series was shared 11, the first time he had drawn a series after five successive wins. 'It was very, very difficult.'. He was also a highly regarded tactician and never lost a Test series as Australia captain, winning five and drawing two. 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. Do not sell or share my personal information. ", added: "So sad to hear about the passing of Richie Benaud. On a green pitch which was struck by a downpour on the opening day, Benaud's spin was not used by Arthur Morris, and he failed to make an impression with the bat in his only innings, scoring only two. Cricket icon Richie Benaud, who distinguished himself first as a leg-spinning all-rounder, then as a daring Australian Test captain and later as the . Witch, Harridan, Harpy, and new insults like Karen and Terf. Shane Warne death: Ian Healy not surprised by spin legend's passing in A pioneering leg-spin bowler, Benaud played in 63 Tests, 28 as captain, before retiring in 1964 to pursue a career in journalism and broadcasting. [18][19] In another match for New South Wales against the touring team, he took a total of 5/95. Richie Benaud died on April 10, 2015, after being diagnosed with skin cancer. After such an impressive playing career, he became even better known as a prolific author, columnist and commentator on cricket. 'I watched all the broadcasts. [92], During Benaud's captaincy, Australia did not lose a series, and became the dominant team in world cricket. [4] Benaud took 5/72 and scored 43 in the First Test,[86] but then injured himself in a grade match, so Bob Simpson captained the team for the Second Test and won the match in Benaud's absence. 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. Benaud had a heavy load in the match, taking 8/199 after Davidson tore a hamstring mid-match. . In November, he revealed he was being treated for skin cancer. Richie Benaud (1930-2015) *84, Grave #86215750 - Sysoon Along with fellow bowling all-rounder Alan Davidson, he helped restore Australia to the top of world cricket in the late 1950s and early 1960s after a slump in the early 1950s. He was playing first class cricket in the Sheffield Shield series before being selected for his first test, against the West Indies in Sydney in 1952. ", Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbottexternal-link said Benaud's passing was "a sad day for Australia", adding: "We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. He was buried on April 15 in a private funeral ceremony attended only by immediate family members. "Richie was not just a great cricket commentator, he was one of the finest sports commentators of his generation," said Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport. 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. Richie Benaud Biography Richie Benaud Networth [93] Benaud was regarded as one of the finest close-fielders of his era, either at gully or in a silly position. We will remember him forever. [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. [4], Benaud was not a large spinner of the ball, but he was known for his ability to extract substantial bounce from the surface. Someone asked me, "Does that mean you'll never again go into the commentary box? Marcia Benaud, a gracious lady with a merry laugh and good sense of humour (pictured with son Greg, 60, at their Central Coast home) spoke with affection and sadness about her marriage to cricketing legend Richie, Greg Benaud (pictured), the elder son of cricketing legend Richie, was an off-break and then leg-spin bowler encouraged by his Dad. [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. [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. [4] The first of these came in the First Test at Johannesburg, where after conceding 1/115, Benaud struck 122, his highest Test score, to see Australia reach a draw. Overall he played in or commentated on approximately 500 Test matches, as he himself noted in one of his final interviews in Britain when asked if he would miss Test cricket. But he had been a distinguished performer for Australia on the cricket field himself, playing for his country for 12 years until 1964. By Andrew McGarry. The Cricket Player, Journalist Richie Benaud passed away at the age of 92. Wonderful cricketer, great captain, a master craftsman commentator and top man. R ichie Benaud, Australia's legendary cricket captain and commentator, died in Sydney on Friday, his family said. He scored 47 not out and took 3/37 in an innings win over Queensland. Link to video: Richie Benaud became a household name for a whole new generation when he moved from the oval to the commentary box. Explore Richie Benaud's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. [117], Benaud had last handed "Baggy green" caps to Simon Katich and Mitchell Starc when they made their test debut, but Benaud's own was lost early in his Test career, and former captainnow commentator and the Director of Cricket Australia, Mark Taylorwas to present the replacement cap to him at the semi-final of the 2015 Cricket World Cup between Australia and India at the SCG, but Benaud was too unwell to attend, and when the cap arrived at Channel 9 headquarters, it was the day before Benaud died. But I won't be on the live commentary roster. 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. In 1961 he was made an OBE for services to cricket. Three years later, against the West Indies at Sydney, he first played for Australia. 2. The death of Richie Benaud has reverberated around the world after news broke on Friday morning of the former Australia cricket captain's death at the age of 84. 'I would have liked to have gone [to the funeral]. Greg remembers him filing newspaper stories down the phone to copytakers and instructing them to wait until he read it back, 'reading it back on 5-4-3-2-1'. In fact they have shunned it. [36], Benaud was awarded life membership by the New South Wales Cricket Association, but he returned it in protest in 1970 when his younger brother John was removed from the captaincy. SUBSCRIBE TO US Marcia Benaud pictured with elder son Greg, then aged 18 months, on Umina Beach in 1956. Marcia had thought Richie's hanging up of the bat would bring him home. Renowned cricket broadcaster Richie Benaud passed away on Friday in Sydney. Benaud was the top wicket-taker on the tour, with 32 wickets at 19.31, and Australia's top wicket-taker in the three matches against New Zealand, with 15 wickets at 21.73. Regular boundaries and quickly-run singles took the score to 226, a seventh-wicket partnership of 134. In all he missed a third of the matches due to injury. [64][65] In Adelaide, with Davidson absent, Benaud bowled long spells to take match figures of 7/207 in addition to a score of 77 in the first innings. He was known for his unbuttoned shirt, and raised eyebrows with his on-field exuberance. He had brought novel flashes of exhibitionism into play on the cricket field, racing over to embrace a fieldsman after a catch, his own shirt unbuttoned almost to the navel. Benaud was cementing his position and was in the senior team for four consecutive matches even with the Test players available. When I was a kid we never ever wore a cap because Keith Miller never wore a cap, Benaud said at the time. Richie Benaud, ace all-rounder, captain, journalist, and doyen of commentators, passed away on April 4, 2015. 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. In 1958 he became Australia's Test captain until his retirement in 1964. His record reads 12 wins, 11 draws, one tie, and four losses from 28 Tests in charge of Australia. The pharmacist, Ivan James, suggested a treatment with calamine lotion and boracic acid. 'I remember a time when he called from the cricket and said Sir Donald Bradman was coming over for dinner and I thought Sir Donald Bradman! The opener at Brisbane delivered the thrill of crickets first tied Test match. Richie Benaud was an all-time great all-rounder cricketer, a crafty leg-spinner who captured 248 wickets in 63 Tests, an attacking lower-order batsman who hit one of the fastest Test centuries, a brilliant gully . In his final Ashes series, in 1962-63, the tempo reverted to that of the bad old days. After Don Bradman, there has been no Australian player more famous or more influential than Richie Benaud.. The well-groomed couple divided their time between their apartment in the Sydney beach suburb of Coogee, their house in France and five star hotels near the cricketing grounds of England as he pursued his broadcasting career. 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. Wonderful cricketer, great captain, a master craftsman commentator and top man. Australia never lost a series under the leg-spinning all-rounder's . Benaud's highest Test score of 122 was made against South Africa, His best Test bowling effort of 7 for 72 was against, He captained Australia in 28 Tests: 12 wins, 11 draws, 1 tie, 4 losses. and "That's stumps and time for a glass of something chilled". [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. Benaud took 3/116 to complement scores of 43 and 90 on his return in the Third Test in Sydney. 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. [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. [17] Benaud went on to play in the final four Tests. The Ashes were retained in England in 1961, though a shoulder injury kept Benaud from the Lords Test, which was won by Australia under Harvey. He ended the Test series with 15 runs at 3.00 and two wickets at 87.00. In his later career, he added the flipper, a combination of the googly and top spinner which was passed to him by Bruce Dooland. 'I kept on seeing Dad throughout my life - occasionally,' confirmed Greg Benaud. He justified their decision prior to the team's departure, scoring 167 not out and taking match figures of 7/137 for the touring team against a Tasmania Combined XI, his wickets including Test batsmen Miller, Ian Craig and Neil Harvey. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Richie commentated regularly during the 201112 season and was part of Nine's commentating team/roster. At one stage, New South Wales were six wickets down with less than 150 runs scored, but Benaud refused to attempt to defend for a draw. [35] He took 6/52 and 5/53, his best-ever match analysis, ending the series with 113 runs at 18.83 and 24 wickets at 17.66. The cricketer turned broadcaster had been battling skin cancer and recovering from the after-effects of a car accident . At the time, Ms Benaud said she was upset she hadn't been invited to her former husband's funeral. Australia had fallen to 6/92 on the final day chasing a target of 233 with Benaud and Davidson at the crease. 'We have been comfortable and had a contented life here,' she said. Benauds first marriage, to Marcia Lavender, with whom he had two sons, Greg and Jeffery, was dissolved; he later married Daphne Surfleet, who had been secretary to the cricket writer EW Swanton. Like all fans of the sport, I will miss him very much.. [7] However, this was not enough to ensure his selection in the First Test, where he was made 12th man. 'He likes to keep his privacy.'. Benaud, born in Penrith, New South Wales, enjoyed a successful career as a wily leg-spin bowler and middle-order batsman. Benaud died peacefully in his sleep in a hospice, the Sydney Morning. 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. Harsha Bhogle remembers Richie Benaud on 5th death anniversary with sad [127], In November 2015, Benaud became an honouree at Bradman Foundation, having been a long-serving patron in his life. Recruited by Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer in the 1970s, Benaud would become a driving force behind World Series Cricket, his voice lending respectability to the breakaway professional circuit that would ultimately change the game. Marcia Benaud's eyes misted up when she spoke about watching the tributes which flowed on TV following her late ex-husband's death in April, saying the coverage brought back sad memories of the life they had together, Muzzled: Richie Benaud, pictured in 1953, with his fiancee Marcia Lavender prior to their wedding and following an injury while he was fielding and a ball hit him in the face, causing his lip to split, but Marcia says he managed to utter a firm 'I do', Marcia Benaud (pictured with son Greg) remembered the day her then husband Richie rang up to say Sir Donald Bradman was coming over for dinner and after an initial panic over what to serve, she came up with chicken soup followed by roast chicken with salad for the legend in her Beecroft living room, Richie Benaud in his Test playing days, pictured in 1961, when he was still married to Marcia and they were bringing up two young sons, Greg, then aged six and Jeffrey, aged four, 'There was another time when the prime minister Robert Menzies invited us to have dinner with the Queen on the Britannia when it was docked in Sydney.