Famous Cricketers No 100 - Richie Benaud

Benaud had employed in the Test. One observer noted that the captain of one team sent the opposition in after winning the toss. But his captaincy was not always so quixotic. Many were disappointed when in the final Test in Sydney, Australia did not push for a win. Some of the loudest criticism came from former Australian Test player Hunter ‘Stork’ Hendry, who took the unusual step of writing to the Sydney Sun-Herald with his grievances. He asked readers: “In all the Tests to this moment, Benaud had showed decisive leadership. Why did he somersault?” He believed he had the answer. Benaud, he claimed, had been pressured to adopt such tactics by someone (presumably Bradman), who Hendry referred to as a “cricket czar”. While Benaud’s tactics in Sydney were not applauded by all, his efforts with the ball certainly were. He was Australia’s leading wicket-taker for the series, his 31 wickets coming at the miserly average of 18.84. Only nine Australians had ever taken more wickets in a Test series and barring George Giffen and Monty Noble they had all been spinners. Benaud also claimed eight catches for the series, the most of any fieldsman. Observers were often amazed by how close he stood to the batsman at short leg, a field placement which Trevor Bailey found particularly difficult to counter. The series was also dogged by accusations of throwing against Australians Ian Meckiff, Keith Slater and Jim Burke, and in some quarters, against England’s Tony Lock, who re-modelled his action after this season. There was also criticism of the leeway Australian bowlers were given with regard to ‘dragging’ and rule changes on this, and the throwing rule, were duly implemented after the season’s end. The threat of controversy was never far away but was often skilfully defused by Benaud, an expert in dealing with the press. As an experienced journalist himself, Benaud knew the demands of the job only too well. He took the unprecedented move of inviting the press men into the dressing rooms after the game, answered their questions with patience and candour and even guided them towards news angles on slow days. Whenever questions about the legitimacy of his bowler’s actions arose he calmly assured the press he believed them to be entirely legitimate. For the first time in a long time, Australia had a dominant player as captain and Benaud was also in fine touch in his appearances for New South Wales. His best figures of the season came in a match against Western Australia in Sydney, where he took 6/5 in 33 balls on his way to 7/65. And in his rare appearances at grade level, he racked up 43 wickets at 13.51, the second best bowling average in the competition. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 153. New South Wales v Queensland, Brisbane, October 24, 25, 27, 28 (Match drawn) * (6) lbw b J.E.Child-Freeman 29 500 31 13 78 3 G.R.Reynolds b 233 J.D.Bratchford b R.R.Lindwall c R.N.Harvey 21 5 72 0 243-7 154. New South Wales v Western Australia, Sydney, November 7, 8, 10, 11 (New South Wales won by ten wickets) (7) b RA.Gaunt 76 451 27 2 100 4 J.W.Rutherford c R.N.Harvey 306 1 R.B.Simpson c R.N.Harvey K.N.Slater c D.A.Ford R.A.Gaunt b did not bat - 47-0 23.1 6 65 7 M.T.Vernon c R.N.Harvey 191 R.B. Simpson c D.A.Ford K.N.Slater c N.C.O’Neill R.B.Strauss st D.A.Ford B.L.Buggins st D.A.Ford R.A.Gaunt b L.Germaine st D.A.Ford 43