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10 Remarkable Facts about Richie Benaud

Born on 6th October 1930 and passing on 10th April 2015, Richard Benaud was an Australian cricketer who, after his retirement from international cricket in 1964, became a highly regarded commentator on the game.

1. Richie Benaud was a test cricket all-rounder

Cricket ground- Author; John Sutton- Wikimedia

Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending leg spin bowling. Along with a fellow all-rounder known as 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.

In 1958, he became Australia’s Test captain until his retirement in 1964. He became the first player to reach 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket, arriving at that milestone in 1963.

2. Benaud was described as the most influential cricketer since world war 2

Author; Acabashi- Wikimedia

Gideon Haigh described him as “perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.”

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. Beanaut came from a cricketing family

Cricket club- Author; Acabashi- Wikimedia

Benaud came from a cricket family, with his younger brother John Benaud also going on to become an Australian Test cricketer.

His father Louis, a third-generation Australian of French Huguenot descent, was a leg spinner who played for Penrith District Cricket Club in Sydney Grade Cricket.

4. Was selected for the New South Wales Colts at only age 18

South Wales Colts, 1940-Author; Sam Wood- Wikimedia

In November 1948, at the age of 18, Benaud was selected for the New South Wales Colts, the state youth team.

He scored 47 not out and took 3/37 in an innings win over Queensland. As a specialist batsman, he made his first-class debut for New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Queensland in the New Year’s match of the 1948–49 season.

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.

New South Wales at the time was the dominant state, 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.

5. Richie had a crater on his forehead as a result of a skull fractured

Photo by Harlie Raethel on Unsplash

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.

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 since a second impact could have been fatal.

He spent two weeks in hospital for the surgery. This was the only match he played for the second-string state team that summer.

6. Was recalled for a match after initially being forced out

Cricket Stadium- Author; Purani Raghavan- Wikimedia

During the following season, England toured Australia, and with the Test players back, Benaud was initially forced out of the team.

He was however recalled for a match against the Englishmen and was attacked by the touring batsmen, taking 1/75 from 16.5 overs in his first outing against an international outfit.

His only wicket was that of the all-rounder Trevor Bailey. He scored 20 not out and was not called on to bowl in the second innings.

In the next Shield match against Victoria, led by Australian captain Lindsay Hassett, Benaud came in with a vengeance.

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.

Hassett struck 179 in four hours, and took 47 runs from Benaud’s seven overs. The young leg spinner claimed Hassett in the second innings when a ball landed in a crack and skidded through onto his foot. He ended with 3/56, the first time he had taken three wickets in a match.

7. Selected as a Batsman for a game against West Indies in Sydney

A Batsman- Author; Lemonlolly- Wikimedia

Benaud was chosen for his Test debut in the Fifth Test against the West Indies in 1951– 1952 season in Sydney. At this point, Australia had already taken a 3–1 series lead and decided to try out some young players.

Selected as a batsman, he scored 3 and 19.  Hassett allowed him to bowl only in the second innings, when nine West Indian wickets had fallen and Australia were on the verge of an inevitable victory.

8. He survived another blow to the head that could easily have been fatal

An individual having his head bandaged- Author; Austin Berner- Wikimedia

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.

Doctors told him he was lucky as it could have broken his cheekbones, jaw or removed his eyesight if it had hit any of the surrounding areas.

It could most likely have killed him if it had struck him where his skull was previously fractured.

9. Benaud made quite an impression on the match against Worcestershire and Yorkshire

Author; Privatemusings- Wikimedia

On arrival in the British Isles, Benaud quickly made an impression with both bat and ball. 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.

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.

Although his form with the willow dropped off in his remaining six matches before the Tests—a 35 was his only score beyond 20 in seven attempts—Benaud continued to strike regularly with the ball.

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. This was enough for him to gain selection for the start of the Tests.

He managed only eight runs in four innings in the first two Tests, and having taken only two wickets for 136 runs was dropped for the Third.

10. Richie was able to showcase his hitting ability at a match in Scarborough

Source; State Library of Queensland- Wikimedia

Richie managed to show his hitting ability in a tour match against T.N. Pearce’s XI at Scarborough. 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.

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.