'Daphne has been kind and fair over the years to me and has welcomed me, even when it was undeserved on my part,' Greg said. Benaud embraced his players when opposition wickets fell, something that was uncommon at the time. Like all fans of the sport, I will miss him very much.. 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. Afterwards, they flew to Adelaide where Richie took part in the fourth Test. [6][7] New South Wales were the dominant state at the time, and vacancies in the team were scarce, particularly as there were no Tests that season and all of the national team players were available for the whole summer. RIP Richie Benaud. It was here that Richie Benaud grew up, learning how to bowl leg breaks, googlies and topspinners under his father's watch. 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. Midway through the season, he played in Morris's XI in a testimonial match for Hassett, who captained the other team. [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. [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. [6] In eight first-class matches after his Test campaign was over, Benaud added a further half-century in addition to the century against Pearce's XI, and took 22 more wickets, including 4/20 against the Gentlemen of England. [32] He claimed his Test innings best of 7/72 in the first innings of the First Test in Madras, allowing Australia to build a large lead and win by an innings. [59], Benaud had contributed 91 runs at 15.16 and 29 wickets at 19.59. Final respects: Greg Benaud (pictured) dressed for his father's funeral in April, for which Greg said Richie had given him some advice before he died to 'get a haircut, but don't take too much off'. [6] Benaud's bold leadership coupled with his charismatic nature and public relations ability enlivened interest in Test cricket among a public who had increasingly regarded it as boring. Benaud was born in Penrith, New South Wales, in 1930. Abbott described him as the voice of cricket. RIP Richie Benaud. Benaud, who was born in Penrith, just west of Sydney, into a family of Huguenot origin, had a keen cricketer for a father. His instinctive, aggressive captaincy and daring approach to cricket and his charismatic nature and public relations ability revitalised cricket interest in Australia. Benaud erroneously recalled in an autobiography that this was his maiden wicketit was, in fact, his fourthand described the ball as "the worst I ever bowled". Four years previously he had been hit in the face while batting for New South Wales 2nd XI in Melbourne. In his final Ashes series, in 1962-63, the tempo reverted to that of the bad old days. The young leg spinner claimed Hassett in the second innings when a ball landed in a crack and skidded through onto his foot. Former Australia cricket captain and renowned commentator Richie Benaud has died aged 84. 'We have been comfortable and had a contented life here,' she said. Richie Benaud: Former cricketer and broadcaster dubbed 'The voice of cricket' dies, aged 84. Six further wickets in the drawn Third Test saw Benaud end the series with 84 runs at 28 and 18 wickets at 21.11. 'Dad thought it was important not to cut us off from our grandparents,' Greg said, 'and so we kept in contact with Nan and Pa Benaud and Nanna and Grandpop Lavender and continued to visit them when Dad was overseas. In fact they have shunned it. [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. whose family has been offered a state funeral after his death at the age of 84. It's been very much appreciated.'. 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. I was devastated when he left.'. The next season saw the last of Benaud on the field of play, apart from some later charity matches and light-hearted private tours. 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. [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. "As a cricketer, commentator and as a person, you were the best there's ever been and, to top it off, an absolute gentleman. Nor have they sought the limelight occupied by their father. She and Richie Benaud had a second son Jeffrey in 1958, 'Dad said his cricketing commitments and distances for touring teams put strains on marriages.'. It was another lean series with the ball, Benaud's 17 wickets costing 40.47, the third consecutive series where his wickets cost more than 30. He added another fifty and ended with 250 runs at 31.25. He was buried on April 15 in a private funeral ceremony attended only by immediate family members. 'But I wasn't invited Rich asked that I not attend. [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. [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. Marcia had thought Richie's hanging up of the bat would bring him home. She remained in the Beecroft house as the boys grew up, seeing their father 'now and again for birthdays'. Benaud died late on Thursday . [7] Hassett was known for his prowess against spin bowling, being the only batsman to score centuries in a match against the leg-spin of Bill O'Reilly, regarded as the finest bowler of his age. We will remember him forever. Benaud scored 78 and 68 and took a total of 5/238, his dismissals being Davidson and frontline Test batsmen in a 121-run win. Richie Benaud died on April 10, 2015, after being diagnosed with skin cancer. 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. Catches/ stumpings. 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 1960, he made his first radio commentary in the United Kingdom at the BBC, after which he moved into television. or debate this issue live on our message boards. [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. [112], "This is the greatest loss for cricket since the loss of Don Bradman and for that reason I'm pleased to have offered the Benaud family a state funeral. 'But it suited [Richie] to keep it quiet, and so that's how it was kept.'. "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. 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. Such guarded humour as he evinced bore the touch of a man who was keen to be seen above all else as discerning. 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. But he chose to study architecture over cricket, although not finishing his degree, Marcia Benaud (pictured in the garden of her Central Coast home) said following the end of her marriage to Richie Benaud, the cricketing great preferred to keep his past quiet and contact with their famous Dad became less frequent as they got older, Richie and Marcia Benaud pictured with their two sons, Jeffrey (left) and Greg (centre) in the early 1960s during the early days of his Test career at a time when cricketers earned little reward and Benaud had do advertisements to pay for keeping a family. In a one-off Test against Pakistan in Karachi, he scored 56 and took 1/36 as Australia fell to defeat. [109] Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame incorporated impressions of Benaud into his stand-up repertoire. His control was admirable, and when Benaud gets a batsman in trouble he rarely if ever gives him a loose one. First wife: The former Marcia Lavender (pictured) married Richie Benaud in 1953, had two boys and divorced in 1967 and at the time of the cricketing legend's death in April had not seen him - except on TV - for 39 years. [97], After retiring from playing in 1964, Benaud turned to full-time cricket journalism and commentary, dividing his time between Britain (where he worked for the BBC for many years before joining Channel 4 in 1999), and Australia (for the Nine Network). In October 2018, Benaud became the 40th Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. ''I was devastated when he left. What an innings. 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. [7], In the next Shield match against Victoria, led by Australian captain Lindsay Hassett, Benaud came in for attack. [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. 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. And despite the years since she saw the only man she ever married, Marcia Lorraine Lavender Benaud said she had watched the television tributes to her late former husband with mixed feelings. "[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. Coupled with his subtle variations in flight and angle of the delivery, he kept the batsman under constant pressure. [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 decisive victory came in the fourth Test, at Old Trafford, when Benauds 6 for 70 and an unlikely Australian 54-run victory shamed England, who fell from 150 for one to 201 all out. 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. By Candace Sutton for Daily Mail Australia, Published: 05:25 GMT, 2 October 2015 | Updated: 10:26 GMT, 2 October 2015. 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. 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. Benaud went around the wicket and bowled into the footmarks, having Dexter caught behind and then Peter May bowled around his legs. In 1963 he became the first player to complete the Test double of 200 wickets and 2,000 runs. A personal letter from Richie Benaud to a young English leg-spinner almost 20 years ago has emerged as a touching example of the great cricketer's personal qualities and deep respect for his fans. 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 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. The unprecedented public interest saw the Caribbean touring party farewelled with a ticker-tape parade by the Australian public. [8] Selected as a batsman, he scored 3 and 19. 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. "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 put him in a small group of spinners whose career averages were inferior to their performances against India, generally regarded as the best players of spin in the world. Benaud's personal form was a major factor in this success. He appeared in Richie Benaud's Greatest XI, a video in which he chooses his own team. The pharmacist, Ivan James, suggested a treatment with calamine lotion and boracic acid. Marcia Benaud told Daily Mail Australia about her mixed emotions in the days after Richie Benaud's death on April 10 this year. [4] Educated at Parramatta High School, Benaud made his first grade debut for Cumberland at age 16, primarily as a batsman. He helped the Australian team have the attitude where they wanted to win. [5] Lou later moved to Parramatta region in western Sydney, and played for Cumberland. [28] Benaud had contributed 246 runs at 41 and taken wickets steadily to total 18 at 26.94. The matter will return to court on December 4. They brought back all the old memories, sad ones. Benaud's 5/13 in 25 balls instigated an English collapse which saw Australia retain the Ashes. [44] He took 5/82 in the second innings of the Fifth Test, the fourth consecutive match in which he had taken five wickets in an innings, as Australia took a 30 series win. ', Home territory: Richie Benaud was the king of the commentary box and at complete ease on cricket grounds around the world including the SCG (above), but as he forged his international commentary career he saw less of his two sons by first wife Marcia, Marcia Benaud said: 'I was at the stage where I preferred to be happy with a little, than rich and unhappy and so I accepted it and I haven't seen him since that day in court.'. Benaud went on to dismiss tail-ender Alf Valentine for his first Test wicket, conceding 14 runs from 4.3 overs. It was not the first time he had been hospitalised by a blow to the head. [20] Benaud struck an unbeaten 100 and totalled 1/64 in the next match against Western Australia before the Australians departed for England. [7][14] Benaud ended his season with 97 and a total of 3/39 in an innings win over South Australia.[7]. from around the world following the news of Benaud's death. 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. Benaud enjoyed a long association with the BBC following his first radio appearance for the corporation in 1960. No comments have so far been submitted. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 20:19. Daphne Benaud invited sons Greg and Jeffrey to the private service, which was attended by about 20 people, before a more public wake at the Australian Golf Club. Reaction to the death of former Australian cricket captain and commentator Richie Benaud, known as the 'Voice of Cricket'. [125] In 1999, he was awarded a Logie Award for Most Outstanding Sports Broadcaster. He still managed to say I do quite firmly. On Channel 4's live commentary, Benaud often made sarcastic comments regarding the advertisement of Desktop Richie. "[2] 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."[3]. '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. [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. 'He likes to keep his privacy.'. Harvey and Benaud had been captains of their respective states until Harvey moved in the same season for employment purposes from Victoria to New South Wales and became Benaud's deputy. The parents who fear their 11-year-olds will be scarred for life by the graphic sex education lessons that Two Insulate Britain protesters are jailed for contempt of court after they defied a judge's orders not to 'Derek fights on, it makes me fall in love with him all over again:' Kate Garraway reveals there are days French authorities fear 'narco-tourists' could flock to Normandy beaches after 'more than two tonnes of Hopes for cervical cancer vaccine after trials in mice showed it reduced tumours 80 per cent of the time. [58] A further seven wickets from the captain in the Fifth Test saw Australia secure a draw and the series 21. The world of sport reacts to the news that former Australia captain and broadcaster Richie Benaud died overnight at the age of 84. At the age of 83, he crushed two vertebrae when his 1963 Sunbeam vintage sports car hit a brick wall near his home in Coogee, Sydney. 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. [12] Hassett struck 179 in four hours, and took 47 runs from Benaud's seven overs. [10] He had more success with the bat, scoring 93 and narrowly missing a century against South Australia. 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. Marcia gave birth to their first son Greg in 1955, and Jeffery in 1958. ", Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycottexternal-link said: "Farewell Richie Benaud. [108], Benaud's distinctive speaking style has been frequently parodied on the Australian comedy series Comedy Inc. and The Twelfth Man. Regular boundaries and quickly-run singles took the score to 226, a seventh-wicket partnership of 134. Benaud had a heavy load in the match, taking 8/199 after Davidson tore a hamstring mid-match. However, cricketers like Shane Warne, Ian Chappell, Michael Clarke among several others visited his commemoration service on the same day. 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. '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! [31] Benaud and Daphne often stayed at their holiday home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. Marcia Benaud said she had not seen her former husband Richie (pictured in the West Indies in 1991) for 39 years 'except on TV', 'I enjoyed cricket, even though Richie said I didn't like it. His record reads 12 wins, 11 draws, one tie, and four losses from 28 Tests in charge of Australia. SUBSCRIBE TO US Australia had fallen to 6/92 on the final day chasing a target of 233 with Benaud and Davidson at the crease. But Richie asked the pretty young woman out, and when he moved on to a job as a clerk at The Sun newspaper their relationship grew. 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. [7] He was recalled immediately for the Fourth Test, but was dropped for the Fifth after managing seven runs in his only innings and going wicketless. Elder son: Greg Benaud, 60, (pictured) at the public housing cottage he shares with his mother Marcia, who married Richie Benaud in 1953 and had two sons who would only see their famous father occasionally after their parents divorced, Glamorous: Marcia Benaud, in January 1953, following her marriage to Richie, after which the newlyweds went to the Adelaide Oval where the new Mrs Benaud is pictured, above, watching her husband play a Test against South Africa, Sons of the father: Richie Benaud pictured at the beach with his two sons, Jeffrey (left) and Greg (right) in the happier days of his marriage to first wife Marcia, when he was playing Test cricket for Australia, Young beauty: Marcia Lavender was a shorthand typist when she met cricketer Richie Benaud at a Sydney city accounting firm in the early 1950s and he went on to begin his Test career. Shane Warne, Australia's record wicket-taker, made a particularly, said Benaud's passing was "a sad day for Australia", adding: "We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. But that extraordinary five-match encounter produced electrifying batsmanship, and bowling that was less concerned with shutting the game down than keeping it moving. 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. [7] However, this was not enough to ensure his selection in the First Test, where he was made 12th man. [77], 196263 saw an English team under Dexter visit Australia. [105] It was also emulated by New Zealand broadcaster John Campbell. [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. [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. 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. ", added: "So sad to hear about the passing of Richie Benaud. Yes! He married Marcia in 1953 and had two children with her, Gregory and. [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. Shortly after the the Australian cricket captain and celebrated commentator's death in April from cancer, Ms Benaud spoke to Daily Mail Australia from her housing flat on the NSW Central Coast, north of Sydney. [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. [29], At the start of the 196364 season, Benaud announced that it would be his last at first-class level. Opening the batting, he struck 135 in 110 minutes in the second innings, including an Australian record of eleven sixes, four of them in one over. Within hours of his death, Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, offered Benauds family a state funeral. Although both sons played cricket at the private boys school they attended, Barker College in Sydney's northern suburbs, neither went on to play representative cricket after school like their father and grandfather. 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!" Some tedious contests had been inflicted on the watching public, with more to follow in the 1960s. 'There was the odd phone call from England,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Wedding bells: Pretty young typist Marcia Lavender pictured after marrying Richie Benaud in January 1953, days after Benaud had been hit in the mouth during a Test match against South Africa and had trouble kissing the bride because of the stitches in his lip, Second love: Following Richie Benaud's divorce from first wife Marcia in March 1976, he married English secretary Daphne Surfleet in July (pictured on their wedding day) and there began a romance and partnership which ended only with his death in April from cancer, Daphne and Richie Benaud (pictured in 2005) travelled the world with his international cricket commentating career, and thought he saw his sons infrequently, his eldest Greg, said Daphne and been 'kind and fair over the years'. When, a few months later in England, Benaud took veteran Ray Lindwalls advice and bowled his leg-spin around the wicket into the rough, when all seemed lost in the Old Trafford Test, his wicket-taking that afternoon ensured that Australia retained the Ashes and raised the captain close to sainthood in the estimation of his team and his country. Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending leg spin bowling with lower-order batting aggression. The tour included seven first-class matches, three of which were unofficial Tests. [4] The First Test at Edgbaston was drawn with Benaud taking three wickets. 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. 'It was very, very difficult.'. [18][19] In another match for New South Wales against the touring team, he took a total of 5/95. Benaud hit a ball into the covers and the pair attempted a quick single when a direct hit from Joe Solomon saw Davidson run out. Benaud, whose witty one-liners from the commentary box resonated far beyond. [6][46] Benaud had little prior leadership experience, and faced the task of recovering the Ashes from an England team which had arrived in Australia as favourites. As a captain, he never lost a Test series. I used to go to matches and even went on the Hill in Sydney when he was batting with Norm O'Neill.'. [16] He suffered a smashed gum and a severely cut top lip when a square cut by John Waite in the Third Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground hit him in the face while he was fielding at short gully. Benaud was the first player to score 2,000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets yet was as renowned for his captaincy. Asked whether that was sad for her, Marcia said: 'I've accepted it'. He sustained a cracked sternum and shoulder injuries. Its one of those things in life: you live and learn as you go along.. . '"[116], In October 2013, Benaud crashed his vintage 1965 Sunbeam Alpine into a wall while driving near his home in Coogee, a beachside suburb in Sydney's east. His leg spin yielded ten wickets at 30.60, with a best of 4/118 in the Fourth Test in Adelaide when he was given a heavy workload, totalling 58 overs,[7] when Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller broke down during the match. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up. Marcia Benaud kept her surname 'for the sake of my sons. 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. Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE ( / bno /; 6 October 1930 - 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer. Now an 85-year-old pensioner, Marcia Benaud hadn't seen Richie Benaud since the 1970s when he was contesting the maintenance paid to support her and their sons. [1], Gideon Haigh described him as "perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War. ", 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.

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