Famous Cricketers No 100 - Richie Benaud

92. Australian XI v Tasmania, Launceston, March 17, 19, 20 (Australian XI won by 229 runs) (6) c T.J.Cowley b N.V.Diprose 32 196 9 1 29 3 R.E.Garwood c and b 123 2 J.M.Maddox c G.R.A.Langley B.J.Hyland st G.R.A.Langley (5) c A.L.Shephard b N.V.Diprose 34 249 5.7 1 21 3 A.L.Shephard c J.W.Rutherford 93 1 K.E.Schmidt c J.W.Wilson N.V.Diprose c and b 93. Australian XI v Tasmania, Hobart, March 22, 23, 24 (Match drawn) (8) not out 103 357 5.4 1 34 3 J.M.Maddox b 137 1 B.J.Hyland b W.Hird b (8) c R.E.Garwood b T.J.Cowley 20 344 19 0 71 5 K.E.Schmidt c I.D.Craig 149-9 J.M.Maddox c L.V.Maddocks T.R.Davidson c K.R.Miller B.J.Hyland b T.J.Cowley c R.G.Archer SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Sheffield Shield 7 9 0 275 73 30.55 - 3 6 Other matches 3 6 1 312 103* 62.40 2 - 4 Season 10 15 1 587 103* 41.92 2 3 10 Career 93 136 9 4718 167* 37.14 11 24 93 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Sheffield Shield 209.3 46 670 25 6-76 26.80 1 - Other matches 69.5 8 281 19 5-71 14.78 1 - Season (8b) 279 54 951 44 6-76 21.61 2 - Career (8b) 1488.4 225 } 7486 246 7-46 30.43 7 - (6b) 684.4 160 1956 – Australia in England Veteran Ian Johnson was named captain of this touring party, the makeup of which was hotly debated in Australian cricket circles. Despite Benaud’s fine performances on the West Indies tour and in the preceding Shield season, his was one of the selections that chairman of selectors Don Bradman felt the need to justify. Bradman wrote: “So far his figures scarcely reflect the promise of his early youth…In the batting line I feel Benaud’s potential has not so far materialised”. The Australian team seemed caught between two eras, consisting of promising but still unproven youth and champions on the wane. Opinions on the worth of Benaud as a Test cricket were still divided. Despite the doubters, there were already some observers, including long-term admirer Moyes and Percy Millard of The Melbourne Herald , calling for generational change, including promoting Benaud to the Australian captaincy. In the lead-up to the second Test, Neville Cardus wrote a piece in the Manchester Guardian , pointing out that Benaud had scored 97 and taken 7/46 against Yorkshire in 1953. Cardus felt “it is not possible for mediocrity ever to rise to the level of this kind of mastery”. He concluded : “Benaud is twenty-five and looks every inch a cricketer. It will be no matter for wonder if at any moment he confounds those of his critics who have more or less written him off”. Cardus was to be proven right by Benaud’s performance at the home of cricket, Lord’s. Benaud came to the crease with Australia in a dire position at 112/6 and his cavalier 97 proved instrumental as the Australians won the match, their only victory of the series. Reflecting on his career almost half a century later, Benaud believes this was his “best and most important innings”, though in discussing the performance he preferred to talk more about Keith Miller, whose gallant 31