RIP Richie Benaud
- Thread starter Matt26
- Start date
The Mad Hatter
OzCardTrader
Summer just isn't summer without the cricket.
Or Richie Benaud.
RIP - Howzat? Marvellous effort that.
Or Richie Benaud.
RIP - Howzat? Marvellous effort that.
Rooster Pump
OzCardTrader
Vale Richie. Great captain, greater man.
The Mad Hatter
OzCardTrader
I am in tears.
I grew up in the post WSC days when World Series Cup and Scanlens sticker books and the 12th Man ruled Australian summers.
So many hours spent listening to his observations, his sly witticisms (looks like there was some sweating under the covers...FLMAO!) and sharp and accurate, yet humble and sporting memories of his playing days. Never a "look at me, look at me" commentator, who preferred to let the game do the talking, he would add to the spectacle, the moment...and give space for silence.
For almost 40 years I have loved and watched cricket. I adored the commentary team warts and all, possibly due to the 12th Man's pi$$takes over the years. He was there while I watched Kim Hughes, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke lead our band of cricketing sons against all comers.
We all knew this day would come, but right now, I feel emptier than a batsman being run out for a duck at the non-striker's end off the first ball of the first day of the first Ashes test for the summer.
I can't quite believe it is over. But it is.
Sorry, but I don't often get too emotional and this hurts.
I grew up in the post WSC days when World Series Cup and Scanlens sticker books and the 12th Man ruled Australian summers.
So many hours spent listening to his observations, his sly witticisms (looks like there was some sweating under the covers...FLMAO!) and sharp and accurate, yet humble and sporting memories of his playing days. Never a "look at me, look at me" commentator, who preferred to let the game do the talking, he would add to the spectacle, the moment...and give space for silence.
For almost 40 years I have loved and watched cricket. I adored the commentary team warts and all, possibly due to the 12th Man's pi$$takes over the years. He was there while I watched Kim Hughes, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke lead our band of cricketing sons against all comers.
We all knew this day would come, but right now, I feel emptier than a batsman being run out for a duck at the non-striker's end off the first ball of the first day of the first Ashes test for the summer.
I can't quite believe it is over. But it is.
Sorry, but I don't often get too emotional and this hurts.
OutlawNinja
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Cricket has lost its greatest ambassador.
I can't imagine watching a game without his voice commentating.
I can't imagine watching a game without his voice commentating.
Grindnation
Steven Adams Collector #12
RIP ! Cricket will be abit different to watch.
Wookiedragon
OzCardTrader
What a great innings.
He has brought joy to thousands - even millions of people over the years & there is definately something missing from the channel nine cricket commentary now he has gone. It has been evident over the last few summers. We lost Tony Greig & now Ritchie. With Bill Lawry in semi retirement (only did the Melbourne test this summer), we have lost the spine of the commentary team alot of us have grown up listening to.
RIP Ritchie - Thanks for the memories
He has brought joy to thousands - even millions of people over the years & there is definately something missing from the channel nine cricket commentary now he has gone. It has been evident over the last few summers. We lost Tony Greig & now Ritchie. With Bill Lawry in semi retirement (only did the Melbourne test this summer), we have lost the spine of the commentary team alot of us have grown up listening to.
RIP Ritchie - Thanks for the memories
The_Funporium
OzCardTrader
Hey boys, don't be too sad.
Richie will be up there playing and commentating the great big game in the sky, with all the greats.
Thanks Richie, for everything you've done.
Richie will be up there playing and commentating the great big game in the sky, with all the greats.
Thanks Richie, for everything you've done.
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
Was always hoping he'd be able to commentate just one more time. Can't believe we'll never hear him again. Will seriously miss his marvellous commentary. 
Rest In Peace Richie, and thanks for everything you gave to the game you loved, and for just being a true gentleman.
Rest In Peace Richie, and thanks for everything you gave to the game you loved, and for just being a true gentleman.
Shaunao1983
OzCardTrader
Sad news Rest In Peace Richie.
mounteverest
OzCardTrader
Like a lot of people I grew up as a young kid listening to Richie,his knowledge of the game and stats was remarkable and his passion for the game second to none,some of the new breed could take a leaf out of his book and lastly I would like to say,that dickhead of a P.M should have knighted Richie instead of that Pom
R.I.P Richie
R.I.P Richie
Matty76
Banned User
It has taken me all day to try and think of something to write! Eventually I decided on this:
Though of course the game of cricket goes on, it does so without a man whose presence in it spanned serveral decades as a player, captain, journalist, commentator and standard-bearer.
If Richie spoke, you listened. If Richie said it, you believed it. If Richie wrote it, you read it.
I only ever heard Richie use "bad" language once, and it occurred after the match-fixing allegations against Hansie Cronje from South Africa: "My every waking moment was spent working out how to win cricket matches. Now I suddenly find that around the cricket world there are bastards who spend every waking moment working out how to lose cricket matches.”
Above all else (including his witty one-liners and the VERY occasional risqué double entendre!) that view is why I will most fondly remember Richie Benaud. To use the old gag: "He thought 'defence' was de thing that keeps de spectators off de ground". Australian sportspeople are daring risk takers by nature, not boring, conservative sticks-in-the-mud.
From his young days as a student of the game, through his playing career and then as the voice of the summer game, Richie Benaud (like Ian Chappell) championed exciting, attacking, positive play. Modern cricket has much to thank him for, as does its players and supporters.
Rest In Peace Richard "Richie" Benaud. Australian Test cricketer #190
Though of course the game of cricket goes on, it does so without a man whose presence in it spanned serveral decades as a player, captain, journalist, commentator and standard-bearer.
If Richie spoke, you listened. If Richie said it, you believed it. If Richie wrote it, you read it.
I only ever heard Richie use "bad" language once, and it occurred after the match-fixing allegations against Hansie Cronje from South Africa: "My every waking moment was spent working out how to win cricket matches. Now I suddenly find that around the cricket world there are bastards who spend every waking moment working out how to lose cricket matches.”
Above all else (including his witty one-liners and the VERY occasional risqué double entendre!) that view is why I will most fondly remember Richie Benaud. To use the old gag: "He thought 'defence' was de thing that keeps de spectators off de ground". Australian sportspeople are daring risk takers by nature, not boring, conservative sticks-in-the-mud.
From his young days as a student of the game, through his playing career and then as the voice of the summer game, Richie Benaud (like Ian Chappell) championed exciting, attacking, positive play. Modern cricket has much to thank him for, as does its players and supporters.
Rest In Peace Richard "Richie" Benaud. Australian Test cricketer #190
That's one thing that had always baffled me, was why, this great man was never knighted!
The Mad Hatter
OzCardTrader
Australia didn't have Knighthoods etc from 1986 until 2014.
Even so, I like the fact our great sportsman come from a (generally) egalitarian background and they could be one of 'us' - having played in the back yard and worked their way around ovals and grounds from all parts of Australia to finally represent their country at the highest level...yet still remain quintessentially Australian like the rest of us.
Even so, I like the fact our great sportsman come from a (generally) egalitarian background and they could be one of 'us' - having played in the back yard and worked their way around ovals and grounds from all parts of Australia to finally represent their country at the highest level...yet still remain quintessentially Australian like the rest of us.
Wookiedragon
OzCardTrader
I heard today that Ritchie attended over 500 test matches live either as a player or in the media.
That number is staggering.
If we average that out at say four days a test, that's 2000 days of test cricket, which is 5 and a half years watching test match cricket.
To put that into perspective. To date there have been 2156 tests. So Ritchie has seen almost a quarter of all tests played.
I attended the SCG last Saturday to pay my respects and I noticed an England flag and cap. It really hit home how big he was there as well. It's not just us Aussies that were graced with his prescience every summer, he was over there too, year after year doing what he loved.
Add to that the test matches the plethora of ODI's he has commentated on!
What a remarkable life. I doubt we will ever see anyone like him again.
That number is staggering.
If we average that out at say four days a test, that's 2000 days of test cricket, which is 5 and a half years watching test match cricket.
To put that into perspective. To date there have been 2156 tests. So Ritchie has seen almost a quarter of all tests played.
I attended the SCG last Saturday to pay my respects and I noticed an England flag and cap. It really hit home how big he was there as well. It's not just us Aussies that were graced with his prescience every summer, he was over there too, year after year doing what he loved.
Add to that the test matches the plethora of ODI's he has commentated on!
What a remarkable life. I doubt we will ever see anyone like him again.
GarnettFan4Life
Administrator
Great memories of my younger days watching the cricket with my dad. An icon. Will be sorely missed.
