Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise and speak on this tribute to Richie Benaud. Richie Benaud was born back on 6 October 1930, during the Depression, and passed away on 10 April 2015. His test record and his cricket record: he debuted for New South Wales at the age of 18, and made his test debut at the age of 21. His record stands at: playing 63 test matches; scoring 2,201 runs, with a batting average of 24.45; scoring three hundreds—three centuries—and nine half-centuries, with a top score of 122; he took 248 wickets, with a bowling average 27.03; and took five wickets in an innings 16 times, with a best bowling figure of 7/72. Upon his retirement, he was the only test cricketer in history at the time to have achieved the double of scoring 2,000 runs and taking 200 wickets. His bowling record of 248 test wickets would stand until it was broken by the great Dennis Lillee. But his record as captain was even more impressive than his test record. As captain, he regained the Ashes for Australia and retained them twice. In fact, he never lost a series as captain.

He was also not an overnight success—something that we all should learn from. In fact, as a batsman, in his first test match, he made the scores of three and 19. He was not even given a bowl in the first innings, and in the second innings he was only given a bowl when the West Indies were nine batsman out. He took his first wicket then, with 14 runs from only 4.3 overs. His first tour of England, again, you would have to say, was a complete failure. In his first two tests he managed only eight runs in four innings, took only two wickets for 136 runs and then was dropped for the third test. He was recalled for the fourth test, but was dropped for the fifth, after managing only seven runs and going without a wicket. He finished that series with a grand total of 15 runs, at a batting average of three, and two wickets at 87 apiece. So it is a lesson again—a lesson of many of the great people throughout history—that success does not come automatically; it is achieved through hard work and persistence. Richie Benaud was absolutely no different.

What made Richie Benaud so famous and so popular, of course, was his commentary. Throughout many a long summer, it was Richie there with us in our living rooms on the TV. I am in my 50s, and I think many people around my age—and older and younger—as young kids we almost had a bit of cricket embedded in our DNA. That comes from Richie Benaud's broadcasts. The words 'Welcome back to the MCG' are a part of our summer. Of course, he was master of the understatement. Richie Benaud's economy of words was beautiful. He also became a cult hero from the 12th Man tapes, which I am sure many of us have had a great laugh over. Richie actually wrote to Billy Birmingham, the 12th Man, on his tapes—again, using his beautiful economy of words. After Billy Birmingham sent Richie a copy of his latest recording, Richie said:

Dear Billy,

Thanks for the cassette and record of your latest creation.

Plus mark, excellent entertainment as always. Minus mark, the same as last time. A bit too long, too much swearing for the sake of it and Chappelli’s voice still not right.

But in a word: brilliant.

richie

Cricket has a special part in our nation's history; Richie Benaud will always be a part of that history. As we say in the words of Richie: a marvellous life; a marvellous innings. May he rest in peace.

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