Richie Benaud
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 Australia (AUS) |
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| Batting style | Right-handed batsman (RHB) | |
| Bowling type | Leg spin | |
| Tests | First-class | |
| Matches | 63 | 259 |
| Runs scored | 2201 | 11719 |
| Batting average | 24.45 | 36.50 |
| 100s/50s | 3/9 | 23/61 |
| Top score | 122 | 187 |
| Balls bowled | 19108 | 60481 |
| Wickets | 248 | 945 |
| Bowling average | 27.03 | 24.73 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 16 | 56 |
| 10 wickets in match | 1 | 9 |
| Best bowling | 7/72 | 7/19 |
| Catches/stumpings | 65/0 | 254/0 |
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Test debut: 25 January 1952 |
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Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE (born October 6, 1930 in Penrith, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer. Undoubtedly one of the greatest leg-spinners to have played Test cricket, since retiring from international cricket in 1964 he has become the most recognisable and popular commentator in the game.
Gideon Haigh described him as "... perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War."[1] In his review of Benaud's autobiography Anything But, Sri Lankan cricket writer Harold de Andrado wrote: Richie Benaud possibly next to Sir Don Bradman has been one of the greatest cricketing personalities as, player, researcher, writer. Critic, author, organiser, adviser and student of the game.[2]
He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1961 for services to cricket.
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[edit] Cricket
In 1948 at the age of 18 he made his first-class cricket debut playing in a Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales against Queensland in Sydney.
Benaud played as a right-handed leg-spin all-rounder in a total of 259 first-class games until 1964, including 63 Tests, 28 as captain. He made his Test debut against the West Indies in Sydney in 1952, playing in only 1 match of the series and taking just 1 wicket.
Several years of solid but unspectacular Test cricket followed in Australia as well as tours to the West Indies, England and Pakistan. However, in the 1957-58 tour of South Africa he took 30 wickets including three 5-wicket hauls at an average of 30.93. He also made 329 runs at a batting average of 54.83.
Benaud was appointed captain for the 1958-59 Ashes series in Australia taking over from Ian Craig whose career had been cut short through illness. He and his team recovered the trophy after three previous series had failed to do so, and succesfully defended them twice.
In the 1961 Ashes series in England he suffered a serious shoulder injury early in the first Test and was unable to play for the remainder of the match or the second Test. After a draw, a win and a loss, the series was in the balance going into the fourth Test at Old Trafford. By the last day, England seemed to have a comfortable lead. Benaud's match-winning bowling and astute leadership proved to be the decisive factor. By bowling his leg breaks round the wicket into some rough created by footmarks left by the English team, he took 6-70 to secure an Australian victory by 54 runs.
Australia won the series by drawing the final Test at The Oval and it confirmed a supremacy over England that would endure throughout the decade.
During his captaincy he never lost a series and in 1963 became the first Test player to complete the double of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs. He is one of only 10 Australian cricketers to have scored more than 10,000 runs and taken over 500 wickets in first-class cricket.
He ended his Test career in Sydney with statistics of 248 wickets (the Test record at that time) at 27.03 and 2,201 runs at 24.45.
[edit] Cricket career highlights
- Early in his career, he hit 100 runs against the West Indies in 78 minutes, the third fastest Test century of all time and the second fastest by an Australian.[3]
- Benaud was one of Jim Laker's victims in his famous record 10-wicket innings/19-wicket match at Old Trafford in 1956. He made 0 and 18.
- Benaud was in charge for the inaugural 1960-61 Frank Worrell Trophy against the West Indies - a series that included the famous Tied Test.
- Benaud's highest Test batting score of 122 was made against South Africa, Johannesburg, 1957-1958
- His best Test bowling effort of 7 for 72 was against India, Chennai, 1956-1957
- He captained Australia in 28 Tests: 12 wins, 12 draws, 4 losses
[edit] Media career
After the 1956 England tour, Benaud stayed behind in London to take a BBC presenter training course. He took up a journalism position with The Sun, beginning as a police roundsman before becoming a sports columnist. In 1960 he made his first radio commentary in the United Kingdom at the BBC after which he moved into television.
After retiring from playing in 1963, Benaud turned to full-time cricket journalism and commentary, dividing his time between Britain (where he worked for the BBC for many years, prior to joining Channel 4) and Australia (for the Nine Network). 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.
The idea for what became his trademark, wearing a cream jacket during live commentary, came from Channel 9 owner Kerry Packer, who suggested the look to help Benaud stand out from the rest of the commentary team.
He also helped to design a computer based parody of himself available for download off Channel 4's website called Desktop Richie. It was developed by the software company Turtlez Ltd. Having downloaded this, cricket fans would be treated to live Test match updates and weather reports from a cartoon version of Benaud with real voice samples such as "Got 'im!" and "That's stumps... and time for a glass of something chilled." On Channel 4's live commentary, Benaud often makes sarcastic comments regarding the advertisement of Desktop Richie.
In 2004, Benaud starred in a series of television advertisements for the Australian Tourism Commission, aimed at promoting Australia as a tourist destination. Benaud's ad featured him in various scenic locations uttering his signature comment, "Marvellous!". He also appeared in Richie Benaud’s Greatest XI a video in which he chooses his own XI. A limited version was shown on the Nine Network after a match between Australia and Pakistan.
With Channel 4's loss of the rights to broadcast live Test match cricket to Sky Sports, the 2005 Ashes series was the last that Benaud commentated on in Britain (though he will continue to spend the Northern Hemisphere summer in Britain writing, and will continue working for the Nine Network). His final spell of commentating came near the end of the final day of the 5th Test at The Oval, where he was joined by Geoff Boycott. His last goodbye was rudely interrupted by Glenn McGrath getting a peach of a delivery through Kevin Pietersen (out for 158). Although Benaud was speaking, this didn't put him off, and he just weaved the description of the wicket into what he was already saying without wavering in the slightest. Following the departure of live Test cricket to Rupert Murdoch's Sky TV, Benaud has become a staunch advocate of free-to-air TV, and chose to end a British commentary career spanning over 42 years when Channel 4's contract expired at the end of the 2005 Ashes.
Benaud will return to UK TV later this year after the BBC won the rights to highlights of the 2006-07 Ashes tour.
Benaud's book My Spin on Cricket was published in 2005.
His younger brother John, also played Test cricket for Australia.
[edit] Personal life
In 1967 Benaud married Daphne Surfleet who had worked for the English cricket writer E. W. Swanton. Both had been married previously and Richie had two sons from an earlier marriage. They own an apartment in Coogee, New South Wales and a villa in the French Côte d'Azur where they spend about half of each year.
[edit] Quotes
- Captaincy is ninety percent luck and ten percent skill
- There were congratulations and high sixes all round
- Laird has been brought in to stand in the corner of the circle
- And it's time for a glass of something chilled
| Cricketers who have achieved the 'All-rounder's Double' (2000 runs/200 wickets) in Test matches |
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Wasim Akram 78 Tests | Richie Benaud 60 Tests | Ian Botham 42 Tests | Chris Cairns 58 Tests | Sir Richard Hadlee 54 Tests |
| Preceded by: Ian Craig |
Australian Test cricket captains 1958/9 |
Succeeded by: Bob Simpson |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Cricinfo player profile on Richie Benaud
- ^ Cricinfo review of Benaud autobiography: "Anything But"
- ^ Fastest Tests Centuries and 50s at Cricinfo
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benaud, Richard |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Richie |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Cricketer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 6, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Penrith, New South Wales |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: Australian Test cricketers | Australian cricket captains | Australian cricketers | New South Wales cricketers | Wisden Cricketers of the Year | Cricket commentators | Cricket historians and writers | Australian sports broadcasters | Nine's Wide World of Sport | Officers of the Order of the British Empire | Australian expatriates in the United Kingdom | 1930 births | Living people
