Benaud the success of WSC: Lawry

Long-time friend and co-commentator Bill Lawry says Channel Nine owes all its success to the late Richie Benaud.

Benaud passed away overnight aged 84, leaving behind a rich legacy as an aggressive captain that never tasted series defeat and a frugal commentator whose exquisite timing was matched only by the players he called.

The dashing leg-spinning allrounder will be most remembered for his exploits off the field behind the microphone as Channel Nine’s lead commentator for four decades, and Lawry says it was his former Australia captain that made the network the powerhouse it is today.

“When we reflect on Richie’s life we’ll think of a great player but I’ll think of him also as the man who carried Channel Nine for 30-odd years as the head man,” Lawry told Radio Sport New Zealand today.

“He was the ultimate professional. As a cricketer you felt safe if he was captain because you knew you were going to be well led and certainly he carried the Channel Nine team.

“He was the success of World Series Cricket.

“The players were great, the players were always No.1 but I think he made Channel Nine what it is today.” 

Watch: A tribute to Richie Benaud

When Channel Nine boss Kerry Packed launched World Series Cricket in 1977 as a rebel competition against the Australian Cricket Board who refused to sell the media magnate broadcast rights to Test cricket, Benaud led the four-man commentary team that included Lawry, Keith Stackpole and Fred Trueman.

Two years later after Packer obtained the rights that has seen Test cricket in Australia remain on Channel Nine to this day, the commentary team was expanded to six as retirees Tony Greig and Ian Chappell joined Benaud’s boys.

While the team was still green around the gills when it came to commentating live cricket, Benaud was already well advanced.

“He first started at the BBC in 1960 when he was still playing for Australia,” Lawry said.

“He went to England every winter to work on the BBC, and he was a great paper journalist as well.”

And it didn’t take long for the commentary team to understand Benaud’s economic approach to calling the game he loved.

“If there was a lot happening it was great. But if there wasn’t a lot happening it could be hard work,” Lawry said on what it was like working with Benaud in the commentary box.

“If nothing was happening, Richie didn’t speak.

“Here he was ‘I’ll let the pictures show the people at home what’s happening’.

“Well if there was nothing happening there’d be blank silence and that’s very difficult on commercial television.

“So somebody like Greigy and I would blurt out something completely stupid and get things rolling but Richie would not speak.

“If there wasn’t something worth talking about he would not talk.” 

Clarke and Warner reflect on Benaud

And Benaud’s frugal approach to word use wasn’t restricted to the play-by-play rigours of cricket commentating.

Lawry remembers the time spent after a day’s play, particularly in Benaud’s home state of New South Wales.

“If we were playing a Test match in Sydney, Daphne and Richie would invite us back to his home,” he said.

“Keith Stackploe and I would go, and it might be a Boycott or Barry Knight from England.

“I remember Barry being there on one or two occasions where he’d (Benaud) invite us back to his home at Coogee and we’d have a lovely dinner.

“Never be a late night, we were gone by about 10 o’clock.

“But when we got in the cab to come home we’d all feel tremendous and we’d realise we’d been doing all the talking.

“Richie was a great host. He’d be fussing around, pouring a drink for the guys who wanted a drink and we’d be having a great time. They were wonderful.

“Keith Stackpole and I, we go out for dinner quite often, we still talk about our nights at Richie’s place. It was just a wonderful experience to be in his company. It was a joy.

“He played the game as it should be played.

“He lived his life as it should be lived.

“And to anybody who knew him he was a great and loyal friend.

“And you can’t ask any more than that from anybody.”