This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 20:19. [105] It was also emulated by New Zealand broadcaster John Campbell. In all he missed a third of the matches due to injury. His major advisory work for Kerry Packer during crickets revolutionary upheaval in the late 1970s alienated him in some traditional quarters, one consequence being an outcry for Benaud to be removed from BBCs television commentary panel. [31] Benaud and Daphne often stayed at their holiday home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. It was screened before Australias Test series against India last December. Marcia gave birth to their first son Greg in 1955, and Jeffery in 1958. Craig had fallen ill, and just when the senior player, Neil Harvey, was expected to succeed to the leadership, Benauds name was announced. He was buried on April 15 in a private funeral ceremony attended only by immediate family members. Legendary Australian cricket commentator Richie Benaud has died. He had been receiving treatment for skin cancer since November. Australian Test captain Michael Clarke said Benaud was a gentleman who played cricket in the right spirit. 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. Five days later, he fronted Wesley Methodist Church in Strathfield, Sydney, still bearing the stitched wound. Oscar Cainer tells all. However, cricketers like Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Michael Clarke among several others visited his commemoration service on the same day. His final commentary came near the end of the final day of the Fifth Test at the Oval. 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. While a move to preserve Benauds childhood home failed, he was honoured with a lifesize statue at the Sydney Cricket Ground, his spiritual home his actual homes having been in Sydneys Pacific-side suburb of Coogee, on the French Riviera and in London. [109] Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame incorporated impressions of Benaud into his stand-up repertoire. The world of sport reacts to the news that former Australia captain and broadcaster Richie Benaud died overnight at the age of 84. 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. [28] Benaud had contributed 246 runs at 41 and taken wickets steadily to total 18 at 26.94. Here is all you want to know, and more! Benaud died peacefully in his sleep in a hospice, the Sydney Morning. [7], In his early career, Benaud was a batting all-rounder, marked by a looping backlift which made him suspect against fast bowling but allowed him to have a wide attacking stroke range. [8], Relegated to the Second XI after this match, he was struck in the head above the right eye by a ball from Jack Daniel while batting against Victoria in Melbourne, having missed an attempted hook. By Andrew McGarry. Death date: 10 April, 2015, Friday. [103], The idea for what became his trademarkwearing a cream or white jacket during live commentarycame from Channel 9 owner Kerry Packer, who suggested the look to help Benaud stand out from the rest of the commentary team. 'I kept on seeing Dad throughout my life - occasionally,' confirmed Greg Benaud. RIP Richie Benaud." The 63 Test matches veteran was the first player to score 2,000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets. I've got a black dress hanging inside,' Marcia said, laughing. He ended with 3/56, the first time he had taken three wickets in a match. [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. How Prince Harry's chat with guru who compared Hamas terrorists to Jews who battled the Nazis has appalled JAN MOIR: Goodbye Ken, the world always seemed safer with you on the airwaves, Abstaining from masturbating RAISES risk of anxiety, depression and erectile dysfunction, study warns. He came from a cricket family, with his younger brother John Benaud also going on to become an Australian Test cricketer. He spent two weeks in hospital for the surgery. It was here that Richie Benaud grew up, learning how to bowl leg breaks, googlies and topspinners under his father's watch. Benaud, born in Penrith, New South Wales, enjoyed a successful career as a wily leg-spin bowler and middle-order batsman. [79] This was followed by three unproductive Tests which yielded only 5/360 and a win apiece. Benaud was the first man to achieve 2,000 runs and 200 wickets at Test level. Flags flew at half-mast at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Benauds home as a first-class cricketer for New South Wales, and flowers were laid at his statue at the venue. [91] In 196768 he captained a Commonwealth team against Pakistan, playing in his last five first-class fixtures. 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. Renowned cricket broadcaster Richie Benaud passed away on Friday in Sydney. Nor have they sought the limelight occupied by their father. With Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller and Ernie Toshack, three of Australia's leading four bowlers from the 1948 Invincibles tour of England unavailable, Benaud bowled heavily in some matches. [75] His aggressive tactical style brought large crowds throughout the season, with almost 18,000 watching one match against South Australia. 'Dad had two families to look after and back in the day when Mum was awarded custody, it was the law brought down in the Supreme Court rather than the family court that we lived with Mum and saw Dad once a fortnight,' Greg said. Following his retirement from international cricket in 1964, Benaud became a highly regarded commentator on the game. [120][121][122], Prime Minister Tony Abbott offered his family a state funeral; however, his widow, Daphne, declined, respecting his wishes for a private funeral. A strong England party, led by Peter May, were widely expected to retain the Ashes. Richie Benaud's influence on cricket on and off the field is being lauded by players and fans alike, . 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. 1930 - 2015. [4], On his third and final tour to England in 1961, he was hampered by damaged tendons in his right shoulder, which forced him to miss the Second Test at Lord's known as the "Battle of the Ridge". The cricketer turned broadcaster had been battling skin cancer and recovering from the after-effects of a car accident . Marcia was to live in the house at Beecroft until 2002, when she sold it and gave the profits to her two sons and moved into the housing cottage on the Central Coast with Greg. After the 1956 Ashes tour in England, he completed a BBC training course while still a player, marking the beginning of a 40-year association with the corporation. Within the year he had spun his way to a further 47 wickets in eight Tests in Pakistan and India, and all was set for what was perceived as a world championship contest against the visiting West Indies team. Within hours of his death, Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, offered Benauds family a state funeral. It came from Jeff and I'm glad he told me because I didn't know why.'. [114][115], On 29 October 2008, Benaud's mother, Irene, died, aged 104. This was enough for him to gain selection for the start of the Tests. 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. 2. The best of his career hung principally on the exhilharating Test series of 1960-61, when he captained Australia against the visiting West Indies side led by Frank Worrell. A veteran of 63 Test matches,. [77], 196263 saw an English team under Dexter visit Australia. I used to go to matches and even went on the Hill in Sydney when he was batting with Norm O'Neill.'. [56][57] He returned to form with 5/43 and 3/43 as India were defeated by an innings after being forced to follow on in the Fourth Test in Madras. Three years later, against the West Indies at Sydney, he first played for Australia. Over the first years of their marriage, Benaud would tour overseas with the Australian cricket team to the West Indies, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa. 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. 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. Benaud was another contender with 219 wickets, but it was Statham who broke the record (only to be overtaken by Trueman in New Zealand) and Benaud had to be content with breaking Ray Lindwall's Australian record of 228 Test wickets. [4], Johnnie Moyes said "Certainly Benaud received a little help from the roughened patches, but he could do what the off-spinners could not do: he could turn the ball, mostly slowly, sometimes with more life. Former Australia captain and legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud has died at the age of 84. [66] With Davidson back, Australia won the final Test by two wickets,[67] after a controversial incident in which Australian wicketkeeper Wally Grout was not given out hit wicket when a bail was dislodged and the umpires did not notice. Selected as a batsman who could bowl, he had totalled 309 runs at 15.45 without passing 50, and taken 23 wickets at 37.87 with only two four-wicket innings hauls. He wrote a number of books, rather serious works written with little flourish, and there were two books about him, one by AG Moyes and a later study by Mark Browning. After his retirement from international cricket in 1964, he became a well-known commentator on the game. [125] In 1999, he was awarded a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Sports Broadcaster. [88] His final two Tests saw no fairytale finish, yielding only four wickets and 55 runs. It was presented to his wife. When the time came for Richie Benaud's final departure, Greg and Jeff were given the opportunity to visit their father, and they informed Marcia who said she took the philosophical view 'that it might be God's will'. Benaud said: "I won't be doing live commentary any more." Marcia remembers making the salads for the West Indies team, with Richie cooking on the barbecue he had made himself from Besser blocks, and legends including Everton Weekes, Garfield Sobers, Wes Hall and Frank Worrell standing around in the back yard. Marcia said that from time to time when people inquired about her name, she would quietly respond that yes, she was the first Mrs Richie Benaud. 'But I wasn't invited Rich asked that I not attend. His instinctive, aggressive captaincy and daring approach to cricket and his charismatic nature and public relations ability revitalised cricket interest in Australia. [72] Benaud then took four wickets in the drawn Fifth Test to end the series 21. Lou Benaud, who had once taken all 20 wickets in a bush match, keenly and wisely guided his two sons. Someone asked me, "Does that mean you'll never again go into the commentary box? "[39], After a break in the international calendar of a year, the 195758 tour to South Africa heralded the start of a phase of three international seasons when Benaud was at his peak. '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! We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Marcia Lavender was a shorthand typist from Strathfield in Sydney's inner west and working at a chartered accountants office in Sydney's CBD where young cricketer Richie Benaud was trying to make a career. 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. [80][81][82] Benaud returned to form with match figures of 5/142 and 57 in the Fifth Test at Sydney,[83] which ended in a draw when Benaud ordered Bill Lawry and Peter Burge to play out the last afternoon for a draw that would retain the Ashes. Benaud's 5/13 in 25 balls instigated an English collapse which saw Australia retain the Ashes. After such an impressive playing career, he became even better known as a prolific author, columnist and commentator on cricket. 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. Benaud was recalled to the New South Wales First XI in late December for the Christmas and New Year's fixtures. [6], In November 1948, at the age of 18, Benaud was selected for the New South Wales Colts, the state youth team. Birth date: 6 October, 1930, Monday. Asked whether that was sad for her, Marcia said: 'I've accepted it'. 581 Former Australia cricket captain and renowned commentator Richie Benaud has died aged 84. [29], During the 1956 tour to England, he helped Australia to its only victory in the Lord's Test, when he scored a rapid 97 in the second innings in 143 minutes from only 113 balls. Benaud went on to dismiss tail-ender Alf Valentine for his first Test wicket, conceding 14 runs from 4.3 overs. Born October 6, 1930, Benaud was a legend by every definition on the book, but there . 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 . After scoring 60 and 37 and taking 1/60 in an Australian XI against the South Africans following the Test, he was selected for the Second Test. On a green pitch, Benaud came in at 7/96 and featured in a century partnership in only an hour,[14] making 43 himself. 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 Caribbeans were skittled for 134 in reply and went on to lose the match, although they attacked the young leg-spinner, who took 1/130 in total from 36 overs. Benaud, a former Australian captain and cricketing commentator, was 84 when he died in April 2015 after battling skin cancer. Australia never lost a series under the leg-spinning all-rounder's . Talking about her marriage to the onetime Australian cricket captain, Ms Benaud's eyes filled with tears and she said: 'He shouldn't have left'. 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". 'It's very different to what it is like now. Then, within the year, Richie Benaud became captain of his country. He was a great player and a great captain; a wonderful leader of men and he continued that off the field, Clarke told the Nine Network. Australia's chances of winning looked remote when they reached tea at 6/109 with 124 runs still required with only the tailenders to follow. He had been receiving treatment for skin cancer since November. He was a one-off., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. In 2017, the Australian Mint issued a 50-cent coin commemorating Benaud. 'It's 39 years since I spoke to or saw him, except on TV,' she said. Richie Benaud, ace all-rounder, captain, journalist, and doyen of commentators, passed away on April 4, 2015. Greg said that instead of cricket he chose to study architecture after leaving school in 1972, but never finished his degree 'for various reasons I can't talk about' said he had 'worked at various things, any job'. 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. [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. 'I watched all the broadcasts. He was with us as a player, journalist . Benaud, who was appointed OBE in 1961 for services to cricket, leaves a wife of 48 years, Daphne, and two children from his first marriage. [7], For the next season, England toured Australia, and with the Test players back, Benaud was initially forced out of the team. It was something he shouldn't have done. But he had been a distinguished performer for Australia on the cricket field himself, playing for his country for 12 years until 1964. 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. As per theguardian.com, Richie Benaud's Cause of Death was revealed that he died of Skin cancer. ", At the age of 83, he crushed two vertebrae when his 1963 Sunbeam vintage sports car, Test debut against West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground, First of 248 Test wickets and 2,201 Test runs, First Test as Australia captain, v England at Brisbane, In his 60th Test, the first to 2,000 Test runs & 200 wickets, Final Test against South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground, Final commentary in England after 42 years. He led his country in 28 Tests and never lost a series as Australian captain. Benaud, Richard (Richie) (1930-2015) by Kersi Meher-Homji. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Richie Benaud. It could have killed him if it had struck him where his skull was previously fractured. He was 84 years old. 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