Richie Benaud RIP

[Slim 293]

Beloved cricket broadcaster and Australian icon Richie Benaud has died, aged 84.

His family announced that he passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/04/10/08/49/legendary-cricket-commentator-richie-benaud-dies

 

[HJ Nelson]

Very sad. True legend of the game.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

He set the standard for Cricket Commentators that not many achieve.

He was the voice of cricket.

RIP.

 

[Dave Beat]

The legend he was the "Mr Cricket" - RIP.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

A very sad day. As HJ said, he was the benchmark.

 

[Braveheart81]

Vale Richie.

What a legend. There was no one like him and there probably never will be.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I can't remember a time in my life when he wasn't calling the game. One hundred percent the sound track of my summers growing up.

 

[boyo]

He set the standard for Cricket Commentators that not many achieve.

He was the voice of cricket.

RIP.

Not just of cricket, but of all commentators.

 

[Aussie D]

Marvellous effort that. Vale Richie.

 

[Pfitzy]

 

[boyo]

Less is more.

He came from the commentary mindset that says "If you can't add to the picture, say nothing".

He didn't feel the need to interrupt silence with an inane comment - something that all commentators need to heed.

Something to remember Richie by the inimitable Twelfth Man:-

 

[AngrySeahorse]

My favourite cricket commentator. RIP Ritchie.

Agree with Boyo. I do like a variety of different types of commentary but you definitely need a calm no BS straight shooter for some balance & for me Ritchie was it. He has left some big shoes to fill.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Some marvellous memories of the great man here:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/spo...e-gent-rip-richie-benaud-20150410-1mi854.html

Easily one of my all-time favourite people, for the reasons Fitzy outlines. RIP.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

From Twitter:

 

[TahDan]

Summers haven't been the same since he stopped commentating really. Sadly we now have inane and overtly partisan boofheads in the commentary box who make his class and balance all the more missed.

Fitzsimmons had a lovely piece on the great man yesterday. Truly transcended both Cricket and even his place in Australian culture.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/richie-be...ill-remember-you-20150411-1mixjy.html?stb=twt

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Deserved an Australian knighthood more than Phil the Greek did.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ must have been offered one but declined it, surely.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

^^^^^^^^ must have been offered one but declined it, surely.

Just like his family did the state funeral (a good move IMHO). He appeared not to be one for a big fuss or ostentatious ceremony. Makes him an even greater Australian in that case.

 

[Lindommer]

Saw my first test match in the summer of 1962/63 at the SCG when Richie's team tussled with Ted Dexter's Pommy tourists. As a small country boy used to baked hard brown summer paddocks the bright green cricket oval was an eye opener. And the cricket, it was spell-bounding; I was hooked. That day my younger brother had quite a turn, I thought at the time he was bunging it one and said to our father, "bugger him, this cricket's fantastic". We later found out it was his first reaction to a crustacean allergy.....

Benaud was an outstanding leader of men and left his legacy with Ian Chappell and, later, Shane Warne. His practice of saying nothing when there was nothing to be added to the shot on screen stands as a valuable lesson to the chattering classes.

 

[boyo]

The real story behind Richie Benaud’s famous cream jacket
http://www.smh.com.au/executive-sty...auds-famous-cream-jacket-20150416-1mlfwq.html