Richie Benaud (1930–2015)

More a series of unrelated articles regarding Australian cricket and Richie's career than a coherent book, so best taken in small chunks. As it was written at the point at which he was due to retire from commentary abroad the focus is naturally nostalgic, there's a wealth of detail about Australian cricket (particularly between 1930 and the mid 60s, from Benaud's birth to playing retirement). The trouble is perhaps that, for a man who clearly has a deep knowledge and innate understanding of the game, the chapters are probably too short and superficial to do justice to the subjects, not do they have space to convey that knowledge properly. There's a little too much drifting into the disappointing 'best innings' and 'best matches' territory that so experienced a man as Benaud could easily avoid. The book only really flies when delving into cricket controversies during Benaud's playing career and unearthing nuggets such as the origin of the term sledging.

That said, even in print, Benaud comes across as pleasant, knowledgeable company with a gift for explaining the complexities of cricket in simple terms which makes for an amiable, though superficial read.… (meer)