Random Cricket Thread (International Cricket)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Didn't know he had a terminal illness. Thought he was involved in a road accident.

[captaincolly]

Didn't know he had a terminal illness. Thought he was involved in a road accident.

He had a car crash but also was being treated for skin cancer.
Very sad news, he was in a league of his own as a broadcaster and all of his listeners will surely be sending out positive thoughts to Richie and his family.

[dan08]

RIP Richie Benaud.

[ddb]

RIP Richie.

The voice of cricket.

[GarlicJam]

Vale Richie. The cricketing world will miss you.


Sincere condolences to Daphne. Richie's true love.

[captaincolly]

Awful news. RIP.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Really. It feels very sudden. Maybe people in Australia were expecting this. My impression is that Richie is seen as a national treasure over there. Of course he is.

I guess, for practically everyone, he is a voice they grew up with. For me it was him in tandem with Jim Laker on BBC. I like to think that these two contemporary spinners from the opposite sides of the world, symbolised a bond between the two countries which I still hope exists in our shared interest in cricket. Richie represented a bit more though.

He seems to be the remainder of the civility within the game. Whenever a voice off camera welcomes another person we can't see, we are reminded of Richie. Whenever the covers come off the strip, in the early morning, and we sense the commentator look across the expanses of the ground, and the moisture clearing in the early sun, and says 'good morning everyone', we think of Richie. Aussies will have more personal memories, but the fact that he provokes sentiment from someone born on the edge of the UK, at least shows the great extent of his reach. And we understood that when he said goodbye to the UK in 2005.

He was a journalist, who taught himself the job through stepping out of the game into newspaper offices. Maybe it was the times, but he didn't rely on the ghostwriter, he learned how to do the job.

In his career, I think of the tied Test, and (earlier) the Australian team of the fifties, Benaud, Lindwall, Miller, Harvey... Before my time, but evoking past contests with Trueman, Statham, Cowdrey and May. An esteemed name, on and off the pitch, over a huge timescale, his lifetime.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Yes, I remember him in tandem with Jim Laker, with Peter West the host.

Both great commentators but Richie was always my favourite.

[Aidan11]

11 years ago today Brian Lara hit his record 400 for the WIs.

[dan08]

Pakistan just lost a warm up match to Bangladesh A.

[Aidan11]

I guess they're gonna party like it's 1999.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ajmal was playing. BD seemed to handle him ok.

[dan08]

Bangladesh score 329/6 against Pakistan in the 1st ODI! Tamim 132, Mushfiqur Rahim 69 ball hundred, Ajmal ineffective on his return.

[dan08]

Bangladesh won by 79 runs!

[Aidan11]

Well done to them.