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Richie Benaud

Australia

Player profile

Full name Richard Benaud
Born October 6, 1930, Penrith, New South Wales
Current age 78 years 5 days
Major teams Australia, New South Wales
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Legbreak googly
Other Commentator, Journalist, Author
Relations Brother - J Benaud

Batting and fielding averages
	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	6s	Ct	St
Tests	63	97	7	2201	122	24.45	3	9	8	65	0
First-class	259	365	44	11719	187	36.50	23	61		254	0

Bowling averages
	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	63	116	19108	6704	248	7/72	11/105	27.03	2.10	77.0	16	16	1
First-class	259		60481	23370	945	7/18		24.73	2.31	64.0		56	9

Career statistics
Test debut	Australia v West Indies at Sydney, Jan 25-29, 1952 scorecard
Last Test	Australia v South Africa at Sydney, Feb 7-12, 1964 scorecard
Test statistics
First-class span	1948/49 - 1963/64

Profile

Few cricketers have matured so gradually yet ripened so fruitfully as Richie Benaud. With little to show for his first six years in Test cricket, he blossomed as a fully fledged allrounder in South Africa in 1957-58, then flowered as a charismatic captain at home against England in 1958-59. He repossessed the Ashes, which his teams then successfully defended twice. As a legspinner, he was full of baits and traps, and he batted and fielded with verve. Yet it was his presence, as much as anything, which summoned the best from players: cool but communicative, he impressed as one to whom no event was unexpected, no contingency unplanned for. The same has applied to his journalism: terse, direct and commonsensical, and his broadcasting: mellow and authoritative. His wise head was sought by Kerry Packer in the formation of World Series Cricket in 1977, conferring respectability on the breakaway professional circuit. A guru to Ian Chappell and Shane Warne among others, he is perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.
Gideon Haigh

Notes

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1962