About this record

This posed black-and-white photograph shows Australian cricketer and team captain Richie Benaud in cricket whites and pads. He is photographed as if he were facing a delivery, with his eyes focused on an approaching bowler. His bat is raised as if in preparation for an approaching ball. The photograph was taken by the Australian News and Information Bureau.

Educational value

• This photograph shows Richard 'Richie' Benaud (1930–2015), one of Australia's best all-rounders and among our most highly regarded captains since World War II, and the first Test cricketer to complete the double of 200 wickets and 2000 runs. During his career, Benaud played in 63 matches, scoring a total of 2201 runs, for a batting average of 24.45, and taking 248 wickets, for a bowling average of 27.03.
• Under Benaud's skilful captaincy (1958–63) Australia never lost a series after regaining the Ashes from England in 1958–59. In 1959–60 Australia defeated both Pakistan and India. Benaud captained Australia in 28 matches, won 12, drew 11, lost four and tied one. He was captain during the famous 1960–61 tied Test with the West Indies, the first tied Test in history.
• Benaud's greatest year as a Test bowler was 1959. Bowling his right arm leg spinners in eight matches, he became only the fifth man to take more than 50 Test wickets in a calendar year. His 1959 total was 54 wickets for 1007 runs, for his best average of 18.65. On four occasions that year he took five wickets in a single innings. When he retired from international cricket in 1964 he was the highest wicket-taker in history.
• Benaud was not an instant success as a player at either the state or national level. He was first selected for New South Wales in 1948 and debuted for Australia in the 1951–52 Test against the West Indies as a middle- to lower-order batsman. His first six years in Test cricket produced little of note. It was not until Australia's successful tour of South Africa in 1957–58 that he came into his own as an all-rounder, scoring two centuries and taking five wickets in each of four separate innings.
• Five years after this photograph was taken Benaud retired from playing international cricket and began another and equally successful career, that of cricket guru and commentator in both Australia and England. In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. In 2008 Benaud was one of the longest-serving members of the Code of Conduct Commission of the International Cricket Council. Benaud was made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1962 for his services to cricket.