Richie Benaud: 'Voice of cricket' dies at 84 | CNN . Richie Benaud Biography Richie Benaud Networth 'It's 39 years since I spoke to or saw him, except on TV,' she said. Although the shoulder injury had affected him, Benaud did produce a memorable piece of bowling in the New South Wales match against England, taking 7 for 18, his best figures in first-class cricket. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985. [31] Benaud and Daphne often stayed at their holiday home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. But he had been a distinguished performer for Australia on the cricket field himself, playing for his country for 12 years until 1964. [7], In his early career, Benaud was a batting all-rounder, marked by a looping backlift which made him suspect against fast bowling but allowed him to have a wide attacking stroke range. It could have killed him if it had struck him where his skull was previously fractured. [56][57] He returned to form with 5/43 and 3/43 as India were defeated by an innings after being forced to follow on in the Fourth Test in Madras. Benaud died late on Thursday . [70][71] With the series balanced at 11, the Fourth Test at Old Trafford initially brought no improvement, with Benaud scoring 2 and taking 0/80 in the first innings. [31] He was unable to maintain the standards he had set in the West Indies, contributing little apart from the Lord's Test. Asked whether that was sad for her, Marcia said: 'I've accepted it'. Benaud was born in Penrith, New South Wales, in 1930. She said that after their split, Richie Benaud had preferred to keep his past quiet and that she was not encouraged to call 'Coogee', the name she used to refer to Richie and Daphne Benaud when they were in Sydney at their apartment. Having helped Australia win the 1955 series in the West Indies (Benauds century in Jamaica, one of five in an innings of 758 for 8 still Australias highest total in Tests came in a mere 78 minutes), after four years and 27 Test matches it was felt at last that he truly belonged in the side. whose family has been offered a state funeral after his death at the age of 84. The boys played cricket in the yard and at school, where Jeffrey made the school eleven and Greg 'started as an off break bowler and ended up as leg spin'. Against Len Huttons dominant England tourists in 1954-55 he again did little with bat or ball, just as he struggled in 1956 on his second tour of England, the Lords Test apart: having taken a memorably sharp reflex catch in the gully to dismiss Colin Cowdrey, Benaud was at his cavalier best in an innings of 97, ended by a top edge as he tried to reach his hundred in the grand manner by hooking Fred Trueman.