Richie Benaud is laid to rest in private ceremony
Wednesday 15 April 2015 15:57, UK
The cricket world has said farewell to former Australia Test captain and cricket commentator Richie Benaud.
Benaud was 84 when he died last week after complications caused by skin cancer. His funeral service was held at a secret location and attended by a small group of family members. He was then mourned in a wider memorial service at the Australian Golf Course.
The Benaud family had declined Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s offer of a state service.
The memorial service was attended by Australian cricketing greats including Benaud's Channel Nine commentary colleagues Bill Lawry, Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor, his former team-mate from the 1960s, Alan Davidson, former Australia players Brett Lee, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne, and current Australia Test captain Michael Clarke.
Benaud’s former team-mate, Brian Booth, led the service. In the memorial booklet, his family described Benaud as “a special person who means so much to each of us in many different ways".
Former Australia captain Taylor, who worked in the commentary box with Benaud, spoke at the memorial service and higlighted the mentoring he received from his former colleague.
"I've got to say that I found Richie, right off the bat, to be generous, kind, helpful and most importantly, he didn't judge anyone who walked into the commentary box and I don't think he judged anybody in cricket," he said.
"The only real advice he gave me in commentating was 'Mark, just do it your way’, and that was terrific advice.
Ian Chappell said it was his “lucky break in life” to have been befriended Benaud.
Fans continue to pay their respects to the much-loved voice of cricket by placing bouquets of flowers under a bronze statue of Benaud in front of the Sydney Cricket Ground.
A veteran of 63 Test matches, Benaud was the first man to achieve 2,000 runs and 200 wickets at Test level.
Australia's Test side did not lose a series under his captaincy, which he held from 1958 until his retirement in 1964.
Benaud played a pivotal role in the formation of World Series Cricket in the 1970s and was one of the world's most recognised commentators.
