Tag Archives: Richie Benaud

Richie Benaud Retires!

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The King Commentator, the number one thing

The King Commentator, the number one thing

Breaking News: Richie Benaud, the voice of cricket for nearly half a century, has revealed his intention to retire from all cricket commentary in a radio interview on 2GB with Chris Smith.

Chris Smith: Question for you Richie, you line up year after year, season after season.. you’re not sick of it yet?
Richie Benaud: Oh no, I love it. When you get a season like we’ve just had, well that is absolutely terrific. Ah, I’ve still got one year of contract with Channel 9 to go, I’ll be doing Australian television next year 2010, but I don’t do any television at all anywhere else now, and when I finish next year then I’ll be doing other things, but that will be no more television commentary
CS: You’ll retire at the end of next year.. Next Season?
RB: Well, I’ll retire from television commentary, what else I do is another matter. Daphne and I work as hard as anyone works, and we have a lot of fun as well so I anticipate keeping on working. I can’t think what it would be like not to work.
CS: Um yeah, I can imagine, knowing you the way we do

Download an MP3 of the Interview from BeerandSport
Full Interview – 6 MB, 9mins 14secs.
58 second Highlights – 0.9 MB.

Ball of the Century

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Howzatt!

Howzatt!

Waratah Jesus, in a recent drunken stupor wondered how cricket would be if each player had their own commentator. His plan involved each former player to nominate a current player and follow them round the world commentating on their deeds. When the player retires, the commentator retires. The idea is obviously crap, but here’s how it might have sounded in 1993.

Richie Beneaud: Shane Warne delivers his first ball in Ashes cricket. Right arm over the wicket, it’s a lovely flighted delivery from the young Victorian. Pitches well outside leg stump, but what’s this? Bounce, turn, it’s an absolute ripper of a ball let me tell you. Has really gripped the rough outside leg and it’s coming back a long long way, so much that it’s gone on and clipped the off bail! The English captain has a look of bemusement on his face and let me tell you, that’s a ball that will be replayed for many years to come.

Ian Botham: Mike Gatting to face the novice Australian here. Gatting looking well set as Warne bowls, oh that’s a rubbish delivery, what a waste. He’s just thrown it away, way down the leg side and Gatting pads up to let it pass through to the keeper without incide…. oh fúck ! Where the fúck did that come from? Bugger me, it’s come back and gone past the bat and pad to hit the stumps! Must have hit a bottle top or something. Gatting is standing his ground and rightly so. There’s no way that’s out, it just cannot be. Well, the umpire’s stuck the finger up so he’s got to go, unbelievable.

Beau’s less beige than Warney

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There’s talk around the traps that Beau’s first test was Beige and ed no where near a test match spinner.

I thought I’d see how he compares to other champion Australian spinners, after one test. Of course it’s a pretty crappy comparison as it takes no account of the wicket, days they bowled, or quality of opposition.. nevertheless here are the great leggies on an arbitrary colour scale.

White Hot
Clarrie Grimmett 1925
31.3 overs, 5 maidens, 11/82
Average: 7.45
Economy: 2.6 rpo
Strike Rate: 22.8

Red
Jack Iverson 1950
13 overs, 3 maidens, 4/43
Average: 10.75
Economy: 3.3
Strike Rate: 26

Orange
Doug Ring 1948
41 overs, 9 maidens, 6/120
Average: 20
Economy: 2.9 rpo
Strike Rate: 54.6

Cream
Richie Benaud 1952
4.3 overs, 0 maidens, 1/14
Average: 14
Economy: 3.2 rpo
Strike Rate: 14

Bone
Stuart Macgill 1998
36 overs, 8 maidens, 5/134
Average: 26.8
Economy: 3.72 rpo
Strike Rate: 43.2

Off-White
Bill O’Reilly 1932
81.4 overs, 23 maidens, 4/155
Average: 38.75
Economy: 1.9 rpo
Strike Rate: 122.5

White
Beau Casson 2008
32 overs, 4 maidens, 3/129
Average: 43
Economy: 4.03 rpo
Strike Rate: 64

Ivory
Terry Jenner 1970
28.6 overs, 7 maidens, 2/95
Average: 47.5
Economy: 3.3
Strike Rate: 115

Beige
Shane Warne 1992
45 overs, 7 maidens, 1/150
Average: 150
Economy: 3.33 rpo
Strike Rate: 27

Transparent
Kerry O’Keefe 1970
50 overs, 14 maidens, 0/116
Average: -
Economy: 2.32
Strike Rate: -